From tears to blood
by Cuclata
Summary: The story of how, the only survivor of the blood bath that the Venek Hoard brought to a monastery, found by Maldis, turned into a corporeal energy sucking vampire. Her struggle against Maldis, and against her fears, followed by transformation from an innocent little girl, into an all powerful ruthless being. She finds a way to Earth, where she faces unforeseen forces
1. The making of a predator

Far away from Earth, a long, long time ago … A scarred little girl enters a cave on the shore line on the small planet she called home. Her heart was pounding; her breathing was out of control as she ran away from a monastery in an attempt to hide from the ones who killed her mother. She had no idea how long she had been running, or even why they came to her planet and waged war on the first place, she only knew they, the Veneks consider her dead because of her mother's last attempt to protect her. She could still see her mother standing in front of her while the arrow pierced the white cloth making it red in an instance. Her frail body collapsed on the cruel, cold stone of the cave as memories of what she lived through swamped her eyes with tears and her heart with sorrow.

She will never forget the last thing her mother said to her

"Cyntrina, when the time comes stand behind me. When you see me fall, lay beneath me – that way they will think we are both hit and you can escape to the caves on the shore line."

Tears poured down her face as the next sentence went through her mind "

"Remember one thing no matter what happens mommy will always love you and be with you" Her voice barely came out from the lump that formed in her throat

"Mommy where are you, I'm scared, I need you"

It echoed from the walls in the dark cave. This time there was no answer, only her own voice adding to the agony of her existence.

Cold, alone and abandoned the little girl floated in memories, of her mother, of the many times she hid from the world in this cave pretending to be a princess of the sea, dreaming, dancing between the walls and the smell of iodide. She always picked this one; it was hard to see since the sun's grasp only reached the other two before it. This one was special, cracked just a little bit on the top it meagerly played with the sun rays during the day and with the moons at night. But this night was different, it was as if the two moons orbiting the little planet knew of the war and cowered in fear behind the clouds.

"This is just a dream, I will soon wake up and my mother will call me for some warm flibisk stew"

She kept repeating to herself between the weeps that drained her breath even more. Faced with the cold reality as she sat in the dark corner behind the rocks that once captured imagination, with her head between her legs and arms squeezing around them, she wandered what happened to the soldiers that came to defend them from the Venek Horde. She remembered their names: D'Argo, Aeryn and John, John Crichton. The last two words on her mother's lips – John Crichton. She could feel the pain in her mother's last scream like a knife ripping through her heart filling it with agony and unbearable pain. Why did they leave? Why did they abandon them in the face of certain death?

Her frail heart couldn't take the pain from the events of that night, the questions ringing in her head made her pull her hair in a wretched attempt to find the most miniscule of hope for some answers. She wanted to fall asleep and never wake up, but when fatigue finally overwhelmed her tiny body just as she whispered

"Good night mommy"

Nightmares danced in front of her eyes, every single time she closed them. She was constantly and endlessly whipping the tears from her face with her once white cloth. She watched her cloth for a long time, remembering the day her mother gave it to her. It was a cold and rainy day

"Cyntrina if you want to go outside take your cloth"

Wandering yet elated with a curios look in her hazel eyes she asked:

"What cloth, mother I don't have …"

Then her mother showed her the cloth she had been sewing for the last two nights

"Now you do"

Seeing the beautiful white piece of cloth sewn together in a tiny cloak, she threw herself in to her mother's arms

"Thank you mother, thank you I love you so much…"

Memories of the smell of incense and fresh forest fruits in her mother's arms punched her in the belly like a hammer.

The false safety of her memories vanished when her tiny body finally gave in and she fell into a deep slumber. The night seemed to last forever as she lived through her escape once again in her dreams, being surrounded by the Veneks as their desire to kill was growing stronger, seeing her mother die, feeling her blood drain on her cheeks as she laid paralyzed under her mother's body with her heart in her throat; hearing the Venek hoard's wild roars of victory while she was hiding under the pile of the Nurses' dead bodies; crawling desperately out of the pool of their blood when she smelled the burning fire in the monastery where the Veneks dumped the burden of their bodies. She kept waking up throughout the night until she finally fell sound asleep when the sun brought her a friction of peace next morning. The sun always gave her hope – the salve her young soul was acing for.

Days, weeks went by and the little girl was still hiding in the cave. She kept thinking about her mother, about the soldiers about what happed. Could she have done something different, was it somehow her fault? What is she supposed to do now? Answers kept eluding her mind while she was restlessly roaming around the cave. Once she tried to get out but she cowered and ran back as soon as she heard the sound of the sea birds gracefully landing on the beach in their search for food. Her eyes seemed to shy away from the sun light from all the time spent in the cave. But she liked it there; it had everything she needed, some water, rain that gathered in a big bowl of stone that nature seemed to created in the lower section of the cave in advance only for this moment in time – when one little girl needed it the most; and some sea fruits that daily gathered greeting the little girl with diversity of colors and flavors.

The first few days she couldn't bear the thought of food but later on her refusal for food was no match for the pain in her stomach.

A prisoner in her own home planet, her young and fragile heart broke every time she tried to leave the cave. She would peek through the exit just to see the sun, to hear the sees' waves on the shore, feel the warm breeze caressing her face and playing with her long blond hair carrying the smell of the sea. That was her one and only joy, the instance she was soaking up the beauty of her planet and only for a second thought "Maybe it didn't happen…" but this illusion was destroyed every single time she saw the Venek flag sticking out from the sand on the beach. But one day her illusion lasted longer when she could no longer see the ugly reminder of her reality, the flag was gone.

She slid quickly back into the cave and heard a whisper:

"Cyntrina…"

Rubbing her eyes in an attempt to see through the haze, she strained her senses to figure out if there was someone there or she was hearing things; maybe she was going crazy from all that pain.

"Cyntrina"

The voice declared again but this time it was a clear deep male voice coming closer to her. Shriveling, she mumbled

"Who's there? Who are you?"

The voice was becoming stronger until finally a strange, pale creature appeared in front of her eyes. It was a creature unlike she had ever seen, pale with yellow eyes glowing on its' head, wearing leathery reddish to black coat with strange black feathery sleeves, black pants covering its legs until the knees where black stockings stretched to the strangest shoes on its feet. It also had somewhat strange black leather shirt with an extremely tall collar, to the point that its pale head seemed to be sticking out of a vase or a bottle.

"Hello little girl. My name is Maldis"

His voice abounded arrogance as if the name was supposed to mean something. Backing into the cold wall of the cave, her eyes gazed into the creature while her heart was beating faster. Somehow she found the strength to ask:

"How did you find me? Did the Veneks sent you to kill me? How did you know my name?"

Feeling her fear like a warm jolt of sun ray through his body he answered:

"So many questions bother your young mind. Well I guess I won't lose anything if I tell the truth once in a while. I came here to eat, but don't worry I don't feast on flesh no, no that's just disgusting. I feed of thoughts, souls, life energy call it whatever you want, whatever your mother Nurse Kelsa taught you it's called, I call it lunch"

Cyntrina: "You know of my mother?"

Maldis: "Little one, I know many things just as I know every single Venek is now dead"

Cyntrina: "You killed them all?"

Maldis:"Well, not all of them some of them killed each other but the ones that were left afterwards"

Hint of disappointment appeared in his voice as he leaned on his wooden cane.

Cyntrina stood glued to the wall staring alternately at this creature that came out of nowhere and the bowl of rain water behind it. How did it find her and why does it not have a reflection in the water? Doubting, yet wanting an answer she asked:

"Are you here to save me?"

Sensing a hint of hope Maldis, disgusted came close to her tiny shuddered body as she was crawling against the wall in fear he answered:

"No." he touched her face with his black gloves and continued

"You are here to save me"

Once the cold leather touched her face, stuck between the wall and this ominous creature, tears gathered in her eyes as she screamed:

"What do you mean? Please don't hurt me!"

Feeling the boost of fear and pain from the little girl he grinned as he yelled an answer from his pale lips:

"Hurt you, I don't want to hurt you – If you die I die in transit, you see this forsaken planet is in the middle of nowhere and when I travel I tend to get hungry that's why you are coming with me, I always plan on the long term"

In a vague attempt to defend herself, she tried to push him away but the only thing that came out were her words and thoughts of terror:

"No, leave me alone, I'm not going anywhere with you!"

Maldis, keen he was the cause of the fear that shriveled her body replied:

"What makes you think you have a choice? My chances of survival are 50/50 while yours are next to none. I can always kill you now but since you are a child and your fears are much greater than the ones of an adult you are of decent use to me"

The thought that her mother gave her life not once but twice, gave her the strength to scream her answer one more time:

"No, I will not leave my home with someone who wants to enslave me!"

Maldis' eyebrows rose in surprise, she was smarter than she looked but he had a solution even for the smart ones as he lifted his arm toward the exit.

"Oh, I see. You want to play smart? Alright let's play. Chose your partner I chose the Venek entering this cave"

It was merely a harmless image from her memory but her young mind didn't know that, so the sight of the Venek solider coming in the cave with his gray armor, bloody weapons, and odor of death with his eyes darker than a black hole locked on her, growling in wrath foaming from he's snout slowly thumping on the stone toward her left her face a frozen in a glassy stare of horror. She collapsed on the floor crouched in fear awaiting her death. Maldis just stood there consuming her fear, her pain as memories of her mother's dying hour took over her, spreading his arms he contently laughed at the little girl's misery. The words he screamed in pleasure afterwards made Cyntrina realize his powers stretched beyond her ability of comprehension.

"You see, I can do this all day with as many Veneks, snakes, wasps and any other dark, deep fear of your soul, I can cause you pain make you beg for death in agony but not kill you for the rest of your pathetic life, or at least until I am bored which is the same thing. That's what's going to happen if you decide to stay here but if you come with me your torture will last until I find my next victim. So what do you chose a short miserable life or a long life in misery? Think about your mother, what would she want you to do? Live or die?"

Cyntrina, no longer hearing the hard thumping from the Venek's boots slowly lifted her head from under her stiff arms and barely whispered:

"I will come with you"

Satisfied he crushed her every hope for a better life on her own planet he grinned as he spoke:

"Good girl, now how about you go out and take one of those Venek ships and some food before we get the frell out of here".

Knowing she had nowhere to go or somebody to rely on she obeyed this strange creature.

And so she was born, that day the seed of hate was planted into this young girl's heart. While she was traveling to the next planetary system in the Venek vessel Maldis never left her side, always torturing her with the last memories of her mother causing her the most dreadful of hallucinations, one moment she could feel her mother's touch combing her hair bringing tranquility with the song she always sang to her before bet time, and the next moment just as she convinced herself it was real Maldis turned her mother's gentle touch into a brut Venek pull into steaming furnace.

The torture went on for days until Cyntrina couldn't recognize what was real anymore. She sat glued on the seat clinging and griping it with her arms every time Maldis was having a feast of her fear, pain, and anger. The small intervals of time he left her alone seemed to last a fraction of a second, just enough time for her to snap back to the inside of the dark cold Venek vessel and check on the backward trajectory to the Venek planetary system Maldis told her to set. His presence haunted her with every breath she took, he could do anything to her, take her life at any moment but he also kept her alive.

The Venek home planet peeked on the horizon and brought a sip of hope in Cyntrina's heart. As the Venek vessel moved closer her mind naively plotted escape plans from this monster that now owned her, dreaming about freedom, about her home, about feeling the grains of sand tumbling from her feet while the sea washed them with a sweep of a wave, she craved to feel the smell of the sea one last time. She forgot all about Maldis until she saw his ridiculous shoes in her lap as his body stretched from the neighboring seat. He knew what she was thinking but his perverted mind decided to have a little fun. He spoke indifferently:

"Now, remember the sequence I told you when we were taking off?"

His voice drop a rock in her day dream, making it crash and sink in the Venek seat she tore when Maldis was tormenting her. Sighing in disappointment she answered:

"Yes, what of it?"

Maldis continued: "Do it in reverse"

She landed the Venek capsule on the yellow planet with surprising minor damage, and finally got up from the seat. The pain she felt in her fragile legs made it difficult for her to get off the strenuous stairs of the vessel; between the stairs and this planet's foul atmosphere she barely managed to maintain her balance once she stepped on the ground. She looked around, everything was yellow and gassy barely breathable. The sun was nowhere to be found; the dry, almost sour air brought drought in her throat while her eyes stung by the smell of sulfur.

Maldis took a deep breath, and turned to her:

"Now you see why the Veneks went to war – their planet is drying. Well there won't be many of them left to tell their story once I'm done with them"

Cyntrina stopped listening to his rant once she saw a black lock in her blond hair. She didn't notice it before but now as she turned back to the Venek vessel, it screamed out in her reflection. She stood there for what seemed to be ages looking at her reflection and looking for Maldis' one but it was no were to be found. Constantly watchful of her thoughts Maldis turned around and watched her face as it was glaring at the lock and the empty space where his reflection was supposed to be.

"Oh, drop it already, I do not have a reflection!" he yelled in annoyance "You can operate a ship but you still don't understand that I exist in a realm different than the one you and millions of others do?"

Cyntrina didn't move a muscle, glaring and making shallow breaths from the toxic air trying not to give away her surprise to his answer. He heard every single thought all the time, the insults she called him in her mind, the ways she naively plotted her escapes, everything…

"Now that you finally figured out that the hideous old foully dressed white piece of poop can read minds, I suggest you go underground where all the Veneks live, try to survive if you want, I don't care"

She didn't wait for him to say it twice; she ran down the stairs and stepped into the Venek world. The stairs seemed endless but from up there she could see what was left form the dying Venek world; underground cities stretching as far as her eyes could see, fiery balls of light hanging as streetlights, streets carved with perfect symmetry, humongous fire burning in the center supported by a potent system of ventilation, but still it wasn't enough. Nothing could replace the sunlight and the sweat air she enjoyed at her home. The thought of breathing smoke for the rest of her life brought chills down her spine, but she had nowhere to go and her body craved food and water as she saw some Veneks digging for underground sources of water.

She found peace for a few days, even though she was living like a Venek underground, the shelter, food and water they offered were good and nobody seemed too curious as to what she was doing there, they only wanted to survive. They even gave her some clothes since the lack of sunlight and constant need for the heat of burning fire made it clear her thin Sebacean clothes couldn't bring warmth to her frail body. She made some friends, small Venek boys from the shelter with whom she played almost every day. But the thought of Maldis never left her mind, she wandered what was he up to? How come he didn't strike already?

The new found peace in the shelter dissolved into dust once she woke up the next morning. She felt like she was still dreaming but somehow her dream possessed her consciousness, like her spirit was stripped from her body – something only Maldis knew how to do. Her spirit was trapped into his realm, and no matter what she did how much she yelled and screamed on the outside, she appeared as if she was sleeping. Once he came to terms with her situation, she looked around her astral prison; it looked similar to the monastery she was raised in, a big circle platform with four marble pillars rising up from it into what seemed to be a roof but she couldn't understand the whole right in the middle of it. She slowly walked to the circle, disturbing the dust with the rough Venek boots hearing nothing but her steps. The fire in the middle of the concrete circle gave little hope to her soul but the notion of the surrounding darkness around it gave her the creeps.

All of a sudden, a familiar laughter knocked her off her feet; an evil sinister face appeared out of nowhere in the middle of whole greeting her with his malicious grin:

"Hello Cyntrina, how do you like the planet of the ones that killed your mother?" his voice disturbed the flames

"What am I doing here? You said …"

"I said I wasn't going to kill you until I found another victim, and I didn't now, did I?"

"Then why do you continue with your games? Let me go, I served my purpose didn't I?"

"Oh, and rather well. Until now, but remember when I told you I always plan for the long run?"

"Old man, let me go I did no wrong to you, I want to live" her voice cries in the vast void of darkness while she begged him even though she knew it was useless

"You know that doesn't work, why do you even bother? Anyway, getting to the point your mommy killed the Veneks general and who do you think will be my bait for stirring up some grudges? Or did you think I would just leave you alone doing nothing all by yourself? No my dear, the last two days of peace you had served me as time to get to know this planets' appetites, or as I call it – mental leakage"

"Why old man, why do you enjoy such perverted games?"

"I like to think for myself as a dedicated gastronome – always cooking up three meals, besides there's no fun in simply killing someone is there?"

His humongous head was hysterically ranting down to the little girl while her body ached from the agony of being a prisoner to someone she couldn't even touch.

"Time for some company" he yelled and the Venek leader's spirit fell down knocked put in the circle. Once she saw him, Cyntrina backed away toward one of the pillars not seeing the dangling rope reaching for her. Her body jumped as she felt it touch her but it was too late, Maldis had already tied her to the pillar. The leader opened his eyes to find her shriveling in fear tied on a pillar. He had just gone to untie her and ask her what was going on when Maldis' voice stopped him

"Oh mighty last Venek leader, do you know just who's daughter you are saving?" the leader looked up to the pale face that to him seemed even humorous and through laughter answered:

"Old funny face in the ceiling and a Sebacean little girl tied on a pillar, if I didn't know my father was dead I would think this is his doing"

"Oh, but it is. This is your chance to get revenge for his death. This tiny frail Sebacean you see right here is the daughter of the nurse that killed General Grines, your beloved father"

The Venek's face distorted in anger just as fast as his heart got black and cold once Maldis spoke those words, his father's killer tied helplessly in front of his eyes just waiting for an arrow from his gun to pierce her heart. He reached for the gun hanging from his leather belt hypnotized by Maldis' rants and fired every single arrow he had into Cyntrina.

She stood convoluted in fear, tied on a pillar like an animal waiting for execution and every single arrow missed her body but her soul could feel the blows like a dagger in the heart.

"Look at you; daddy would be so disappointed in his son the sharp shooter of all the Veneks can't even hit one little girl! Here I'll make it easy for you, take her life"

Maldis kept pushing the Venek's buttons as Cyntrina's body slammed on the dusty concrete. The pile of rising dust as she fell and her growing fear made it difficult for her to breathe but instead of falling helplessly on the ground and craving for her death, for the first time in her short life she decided to fight back. Now Maldis wasn't the only one reaching for her life, now this Venek wanted to kill her too! Haven't they killed enough of her people already? Her fear got pushed aside by her rising panic and anger when she felt the Venek's hand pulling her hair, so seeing her image in the last metal arrow hanging from his worn out belt, shining from the flames with its' sharp tip hypnotically calling her to grab it, she grabbed it and stabbed him in his heart with all the force she possessed in her frail, thin body.

Maldis' face froze in shock, surprised by her and still in disbelief he spoke through his grin:

"Would you look at that, the little girl had it in her? Congratulations Cyntrina you at your 10 years of age have become a killer"

Cyntrina, realizing what she had done once she pushed the general of her back confused and with tears gathering in her eyes she moaned:

"I, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it … I … please don't die … I'm not a killer…"

Her body coiled on the concrete circle in front of the fire. Maldis then pulled the general's body up with his malicious mind and while he consumed his essence with a puffed up voice in satisfaction screeched:

"He is already dead, ahahahahaha you, little one have bitten me in my game, but I won't kill you just because of the idea you have given me – kill or be killed"

Cyntrina could barely hear him, her tiny heart was bleeding guilt and her tears seemed as if they were blood, the translucent blood of the general she killed that was on her hands. But maybe it wasn't her fault, maybe Maldis made her do it, she knew he had a way of bringing the worst in her … thoughts that served as a comfort to her soul, but deep down she knew she was responsible. She promised herself it would never happen again, that she would give her life before she took another one. A promise that was left empty, floating on the very surface of her soul.

Maldis made her do it over, and over and over again until she killed the very last one Venek standing. Her hate for Maldis and for anyone reaching for her life grew stronger through the years but yet her actual physical body barely changed, ten cycles made her age less than a single year… that's all the time it took for Maldis and her to wipe out the race that brought terror on her planet.

She watched as civilization after civilization fell down on their knees before her very eyes. She watched Maldis getting stronger as their final drop of hope drowned into desperation. She hated him every step of the way, remembering all the times he toyed with her mind and brought her worst fears to life. In time she began hoping he found other victims, prayed he did just so he would leave her alone.

Her relief was beyond match when one day she realized he was gone. He had found a planet, subdued its people and their most powerful priest – Liko was his name. He was the last friend she ever had. He was the one that made her realize that Maldis had unwillingly transcended some of his powers onto her. But he didn't know she was his acolyte killing his victims and putting up the table for his feasts. His comforting words reminded her she still had some morality left in her soul that was dying for more than 300 cycles. He put to words many things she never thought to put into words, like her slow rate of aging

"You have spent more than 300 cycles in his realm, that's why you still haven't aged in this realm, the changes of pigment in your hair and eyes are due to his constant perverted games with your mind"

She remembered his words when her prowler took off his planet, she had to leave, she was unworthy of having any friends she was a murderer tormented by a soul consuming vampire that as much as she hated to admit it saved her life.

Running away in her prowler, one morning she woke up it the confined space of her vessel and realized Maldis was gone. She could no longer hear his muffled whispers he used to call and find her wherever she was any more. She was free after so many cycles, no more killing no more tears, no more races getting wiped out. This brought her soul short lived joy while she headed back to Likos' planet, since she realized a part of Maldis resided within her – the ability to recognize emotion and read minds. Her heart sunk as she found out Liko was dead. Now there was no body to help her control the crave, the need to exploit those abilities. In time as her thirst for inflicting pain grew she noticed she slowly lost the need to eat regular food, her thirst for water was also vanishing and the only thing she kept thinking about was strangling someone with his own fears and consuming their essence.

Another thing came to her attention when she visited a Royal burial planet where she hoped she won't be able to hurt anyone and she would finally end her life – she could move objects with her mind! Low food, water and fuel finally drove her to give in the thirst so when her rage caused her body temperature to rise, laying between the royal tomb stones her body contracted uncontrollably under the deep dark, clouds surrounding the planet. She knew there was someone down in the tunnels under her but didn't dare to kill them, she couldn't lose the only link to her morality, every one she ever killed were merely ghosts invited to Maldis' realm. The smell of dead bodies seemed to make things worse so seeing a group of junkies coming out from beneath the gray surface, she lost control of everything, her soul, her body and her morality as she strangled the last one to come out of the hole with her mind. Cold jolts of their lives' ending turned her temperature down making her stronger with every life she took, spiraling down from the brutish, savage state of mind to a cold blooded energy consuming vampire.

She had become what she hated the most – an emotional vampire, Maldis. Every shred of morality and guilt was whipped from her soul in an instance. She was powerful, she could take lives with a swing of her hand, knew the thoughts of the ones who tried to escape from her grip, she was finally transformed.

As time went on she grasped the concept of Maldis' existence exclusively in one realm and was glad to learn that unlike him she was corporeal, she walked amongst her pray and didn't need of any trickery in order to get them to volunteer their souls like Maldis did. Her enjoyment in the new identity she created was short lived when one afternoon while meditating on Valdun, a planet full of self proclaimed mystics who thought her more about what she had become, she felt a hand on her neck that pulled her in another realm.

Maldis was back and he was furiously griping her throat against the pillar she was once tied to

"Well, well, well Cyntrina you've changed" he yelled contemptuously.

"What do you want, you old frelnik?"

She asked while trying to remove his hand from her neck.

"I want you to feed me off course"

She used her powers and smashes him into the neighboring pillar

"Not this time; you are not using me as your meal anymore"

Seeing how powerful she got once he got dispersed he realized he can no longer manipulate her that easily.

"Oh, you are like me now, good. Now let's see why you hate me so much"

She looked at him with disgust

"You made me what I am, an empty creature always hungry for someone else's emotions since I'm not able of feeling anything"

His laughter filled the empty realm that was his den

"Is that what you think? You think it's my fault you become like this? No my dear I didn't make you take a sip of this bottle"

Here he saw an opportunity to ensure his vengeance on the ones who dispersed him once: Zhaan and all everyone she loves. In a vague attempt to manipulate Cyntrina once again he arrogantly turned his back on her and yelled:

"It was D'Argo, Aeryn and the last name that came out of your mother's dying lips – John Crichton. They were the ones that left you for death. When I found you I merely extended your life expectancies."

She looked at his yellow eyes with resentment desperately trying to control her rage:

"Be that as it may, why do I see your thirst for vengeance consuming your thoughts?"

Maldis replied: "So we have the same enemies, big frelling deal"

Cyntrina: "I could kill you right now old man"

Maldis: "Is that how you thank me for the powers I gave you? For the eternal youth I bestowed you? Or did you not notice the hundreds of cycles that went by and you were somehow aging in miniscule intervals?"

Cyntrina: "Old man, I can hear your thoughts and you know what it is I hear? Lie after lie after lie. Everything you gave me was but a mere side effect of your endless torture"

Maldis: "Don't overestimate yourself foolish girl. There are still many things you don't know so go easy on the threats"

She then used her powers to exit his realm and screamed of the top of her lungs knowing he is listening:

"There are things you don't know either so back off! Want a free meal, here suck on this!"

She then strangled one of the mystics passing by her room without even exiting the premise.

"Next time it'll be you! I neither am nobody's food nor am I your acolyte"

She then heard Maldis' voice screaming from his realm as she created a void between them

"Cyntrinaaaaaaa, you can't do this to meeeee …" her screams filled the almost empty cheap motel room

"I already have!"

Her heart was racing while she pushed Maldis further and further away until finally she couldn't hear him any more. She was finally free of that parasite that ate her soul for so many cycles ... but somehow that wasn't enough. She wandered desperately could Maldis be right? Were John, Aeryn and D'Argo the ones to blame for her horrifying fate? Questions she never thought to ask before filled her mind until the rage consumed her, she was mad at herself for not killing Maldis besides the risk of being killed, she was mad at Maldis for asking questions she never did ... Tortured by agonizing need for answers she decided to go back to the planet she once called home. After consuming the life energy of a dozen mystics one of which was an old Delvian, she was on her way to find out what happened that fateful night that changed her life forever.

While she was traveling she couldn't stop thinking about the last time she saw her mother, she wandered "why do I not feel any pain?" the only thing in her once innocent but now dark heart was hate that at times, when ignited turned into rage. She also thought about the old Delvian's last words as she broke his neck: "Any last words oh great wise one?" she smiled with contempt while he answered: "careful young one, what's left of your soul may not survive the pain of your upbringing". Why did he say that? Could there be a part of that little girl deep inside this monster she has become? She didn't think so.

After 10 solar days of non stop traveling, she finally landed the peace memorial planet. Her boots made a deep thumping sound on the ground as she walked around looking at what was left of the monastery. Memories of joy came floating in her mind as she observed her old playground, when she finally felt the breeze on her face once again carrying the smell of the sea in her long, dark hair. She arrived at the memorial obelisk where the holograms of all the nurses stared at her. She looked at their faces after so many cycles of running away from her past; she could still remember all their names. Her look got stuck at her mother, nurse Kelsa and the little girl that once was her. They looked so peaceful, so unaware of what happened.

As soon as she reached to the hologram of her mother it turned off leaving her staring at her own reflection in the obelisk. She watched what she had become for a long time, starting from the dark leather boots that covered her legs just above her knees which she stole from a rich Sebacean merchant she later killed, continuing with the tight peacekeeper pants coming out of of the boots to the blood red corset clamping her chest. Her eyes were stuck on her own face in the reflection; she looked morbidly beautiful with her red lips sticking out so blatantly on her pale face and her angry, once hazel but now dark eyes. She looked nothing like the little girl on the hologram even her hair that was once blond was now almost black red.

After few arns staring at her reflection in the corner of the memorial obelisk she saw a mask lying abandoned on a stone pedestal. She read the inscription in the stone - it was a reconstruction of the last moments of life the nurses had. Hesitant but determined she put the mask on her face. As the footage started playing her mind was bombarded with memories of pain, terror and blood curdling screams. She threw the mask off her face but it was of no use, her past was playing in front of her eyes; she saw it all, the very moment Crichton, Aeryn, D'Argo, Jool and Stark came back in time and started fighting the Horde; all the peacekeeper soldiers dying, John's attempt to free the Venek General, but her rage was amplified when she saw herself saving John's life when her mother tried to kill him.

"Crichtoooooooooon "

She screamed furiously until she passed out on the ground.

When she woke up she realized all the rage and fury she felt almost killed her but they also gave her all the answers she was searching for - now she knew, it was them. Stark took them back in time, John, Aeryn and D'Argo left them for death after outraging the Venek horde. They didn't even leave their guns ... One more memory struck her mind as she went in the back of the memorial - she had written her name in the stone with the knife D'Argo gave her. Removing the leafs of the plant that grew on the rock she saw it. Her name was still there ... Unaware of how powerful her hate for the strange visitors was, she touched the rock. She fell down to her knees while and unleashed a roar that chased away the unsuspecting birds surrounding the memorial. Her mind was blown away from the psychic residue fixated to that rock, it caused a vision so powerful it almost melted from her touch.

What she saw ignited her desire for vengeance even more - she saw how the Veneks disposed from all Sebacean bodies, they threw them on a pile and put them on fire using the fire from the monastery alter as an ignition source. What made her scream even harder was seeing her mother's body lying on top of the pile of bodies with a picture of her in the pocket of her cloth.

When it was all over, she stood up back on her feet and walked back to the hologram of her and her mother:

"I will find them, and I will destroy everything they love, I swear to you mother I won't stop until they pay for what they did, I will spill their blood"

Her words echoed in the silence as she walked back to her ship. She had a mission - have the heads of the ones that killed everything she knew and loved.


	2. Friends and enemies

The piece memorial planet that was once her home disappeared in the horizon as her prowler was fading further into the uncharted territories. Her pulse was steady, calm after the traumatic memories of her childhood woke up once again in her mind. She seemed to be paying attention to her travel vector, her look straight forward, her skinny fingers handling the controls of the confined prowler whose defect lights only lit up half of her face, describing her actual state of mind. Half her thoughts mingled steadily in her body and operated the prowler, while half of them were astrally looting, looking for the right planet where her hungry soul could uncover the knowledge to spawn her growing power.

It was Maldis' last gift, the ability to exist in two realms one, corporeal where the five senses were responsible for the perception, and another incorporeal where her sixth sense could track metal leakage of thoughts, auras and characteristics of planets. It was her GPS, mapping system of places she visited and places she wanted to visit. But it had a down fall to it, her power drained too fast, she couldn't last long before her spirit drained, she had to make leaps back and forward to her physical body every few microts.

In a leap of this kind she found the ideal planet where she could find all the answers she needed. Her spirit felt a strong reek of death, hate, fear and pain wrapped in a net of lies and mysteries. Her eyes opened in the small peacekeeper prowler where her body settled, and a contemptuous smile flourished on her face once she realized she had already visited such a destination – Valdun the planet of miserable mystics and hiding fugitives. She didn't realize it the first time she was there, but now, when the last piece of the scared little girl had drowned in the pool of hate inside her, she finally had a clear picture of who wielded the missing knowledge in order for her to be able to sustain herself into the other realm – an excommunicated Luxan Orican hiding on none other planet, but Valdun.

Her prowler landed on what used to be a landing station on this dying planet, and as soon as her boots stepped on the ground she knew where to find what she was looking for. The lazy breeze filled her nostrils with reeking odor of rotting bodies, matching the haze constantly swallowing the slowly crumbling buildings while she followed the aura of the dying Luxan Orican. Her sense took her to small room in a cheap motel close to the landing station. Her hand hesitated once she heard the Orican's voice, welcoming her inside as she touched the cold, metal handle of the rusty door:

"Come in, don't be shy," the old Luxan spoke sarcastically.

Cyntrina broke the metal door in half in her rage once she discovered she couldn't surprise this old Luxan witch, but she wasn't going to back away – she came to kill this beastly looking old woman with long tentacles hanging from her wrinkled face. She lied helplessly on her bed struggling for every breath she took.

"Hello old one, have you said your prayers to your Luxan ancestors?"

Once the Orican saw the vague light fall on the dark silhouette entering her room she saw her executioner, a seemingly young, beautiful on the outside Sebacean woman. The color of Luxan blood in her hair, lips and eyebrows dramatically standing out on a pale round face, carrying the cold expression of a true ripper. The old woman wasn't afraid, feelings had stopped visiting her heart long ago, just as health kept eluding her old and sick body. Cyntrina was disappointed from the cold this woman carried in her heart, she was barely alive, a thought of letting her go swiftly vanished as fast as it appeared.

"Tell me, shallow one is my death going to be slow and painful, or will it all end up quick?"

The Luxan barely made out her thought into words.

"It depends, if you give me what I want I will make it quick"

Cyntrina probed the Orican's loyalty to her craft while the sound of her boots nearing the sick woman's bed filled the room.

The Orican's laughter banned her next step, leaving her mesmerized while she was stalking her as pray:

"What's so funny you old mystic?"

"I can see it all; you will fail, even if I give you the knowledge for sustainment in another realm"

Cyntrina stood in front of the fire, whose warmth and light started fading from her shadow just as the life of the old woman in the bed was nearing to its end, crossing her arms and spreading her legs her voice spoke:

"Even if you were offering that nifty ability to see certain outcomes, I wouldn't want it, since it takes too much energy that I obviously steal, can't generate. Any last words of wisdom old woman?" She lifted her arm above the Luxan's head and waited awhile just as her heart started beating faster.

"Now only this, fear no man, but the one who wants you to consume him" the Orican whispered with her last breath as Cyntrina's hand made one strong grip and then turned to her holding the Orican's essence. She looked at the mystic for a microt and just before she absorbed her soul, with disgust curled on her lips she said:

"I hate mystics; they smell bad and are so… well mystic"

After consuming the essence, she left the lifeless body of the Luxan mystic to rot in the dark, cold cheap motel room. She climbed a few floors up to her room where she always slept every time she visited Valdun, now she had a new power to develop; the secret she stole from the Luxan had to be meditated upon.

The flames from the fire burning inside a metal barrel were dancing on the walls of the cheap motel room Cyntrina called home on Valdun. She watched at the fire while she sat on the torn bed cover. Thoughts of vengeance against John, Aeryn and D'Argo obsessed her mind as her rage was building up, when it climaxed she broke the remaining glass of the windows of the room with her thoughts. After this incident she thought to herself:

_"Look at me, I'm a complete mess. I can't hunt them down like this"_

Her hands intensely grabbed her head

_"I need a plan, a way to get all of them in a tight spot"_

With her fingers sliding down her face and stopping on her lips she wandered

_"What do I know about them? I know they are Peacekeeper soldiers, a Stykera and a Luxan warrior"_

A swing of her hand threw the table in front of her out the broken window, falling on the head of a passing mystic at the bottom. Seeing how an object left one room, and ended up in a much less dense environment where the lack of substance made it fall, she immediately taught of Maldis.

Yotz, she needed the old frelnik but the void between was beyond passing. But maybe she didn't actually need him, his thoughts could be enough and she had that from their last encounter. This provoked a perverted smile on her face, satisfied with the fact she had a place to start she began her meditation in order to remember every single thing Maldis knew about these creatures.

Her growing powers allowed her to see everything Maldis went through the first time he encountered them. She saw him getting dispersed by Zhaan and putting himself back together with his last strength. But most importantly, she learned Crichton was a human, coming from a place called Earth.

She saw it all. When she finished meditating it was clear – since they managed to destroy a creature as powerful as Maldis her powers were not enough.

_"I will need some help …"_

And suddenly it hit her; Enemies! They are bound to have and/or make some enemies along the way. Her mind immediately thought of captain Crais and his grudge for Crichton

_"I can't work with Peacekeepers, It's too messy, too official besides where's the fun without competition"_

She walked to the window, wearing nothing but a red meditating cloak, feeling the foul smell of Valdun's air carried on a breeze that dispersed her hair backwards, she made a decision, she would dedicate her time and powers to finding out everything the escaped prisoners did in order to stay free.

Time went on, she witnessed everything that made Moya's crew notorious, she tracked their steps from the shadows always lurking but never coming too close. She saw the fall of peacekeeper captains, higher ranks and commanders. One after another, every single one that went head on with them lost at the end. Even the Scarrans lost a dreadnought when they tried to kill them.

Her plan to get allies was looking better when she found out about Chiana. She was sitting at a bar on one of the planets Zhaan, Chiana and Rygel visited in their search for John, Aeryn and D'Argo. She saw that Chiana found her way on Moya.

_"Nebari, this I can use."_

The following conversation of two Luxan outcasts made her believe Chiana too, was a prisoner.

"Three prisoners: Delvian, Nebari and Hynerian looking for two Sebacean frelniks. Is it just me, is it this raslak or does that sound like an opening for a very bad joke?"

The other Luxan replied:

"You need another raslak"

Confused and looking at his half full bottle he asked his friend

"Why?"

Barely containing his urge to laugh the other one shouted:

"So you can think of the rest of the joke" their laughs bounced off the walls while Cyntrina exited the bar.

The thought of the Nebari being after all of them for hiding their prisoner brought her a spark in the eyes and a smile on the lips. To confirm her suspicions she killed a few Nebari spies and learned about Chiana's value

_"So, the Nebari are looking for them too. Good let's see who else I can use"_

Soon enough, her list got the next candidate when she found out about Moya and Talyn running into the Plokavians. She broke into a Plokavian weapons container where by killing the guards she learned the Plokavians dispersed a Stykera.

_"Idiots, you don't disperse Stykeras, they can survive that."_

Her quest led her to an icy planet known for the expensive medical services. She found track marks of a leviathan transport pod, a peacekeeper prowler and a marauder as soon as she landed. She stood on the snow while the icy wind blew right threw her long, black blazer, looking at the facility carved in the ice. She went inside to find it abandoned, but she never gave up only because her five senses told her the place was empty, after all the sixth sense she mastered, collaboration of a Luxan Orican led her to this place. She focused on any auras, any mental activity going on, and soon enough, she found the storage unit where they kept the frozen donors for medical purposes. It was a colossal white, icy space filled with countless tall cone shaped freezing units, each containing the body of one donor. Frozen alive, their squealing voices reaching out from the distance, begging to die merely annoyed her since didn't care for any of them. She only cared for the voice that stood out from the crowd of half dead – Grunchlk.

His ugly, frosted face peeked through one of the freezing unit's small, circular window that served as a means of confirmation to what was written in the manifest next to it. This manifest said Scarran, but what she saw through the window convinced her otherwise. The unit screeched and bended under the amount of pressure she applied with her telepathic power, until its door finally yielded and fell off. She tied Grunchlk with a thick wire she tore from the unit, and pulled him to one of the rooms he rented in the higher levels of the facility.

Leaning against the wall, Grunchlk seemed to be unfreezing for decades, but her patience had grown in her pursuit for the escaped prisoners. She always found a way not to fall into the temptation to approach them, to let them know she could find them whenever she wanted, do whatever she wanted with their minuscule bodies, deflecting their pulse blasts, and killing them slowly at the end. But killing them wasn't enough; she wanted them to suffer, to see their races beg for mercy under her boots … her hateful daydream on the armchair was interrupted when her prisoner was finally awaken, and slowly begun realizing his situation. With a hole in his arm from the peacekeepers, and his head in a daze from the cold he asked:

"What happened, am I dead?

"No. at least not yet"

She answered, putting her legs gracefully one over the other on the armchair. When he saw this beautiful young, pale thing sitting sensually in his chair, not noticing the thick rubber wire around his chest, he unsuccessfully tried to get up and get closer saying:

"Hello, where did you come from? I must be dreaming, did you save my life …"

His voice stopped once he realized he was her prisoner. The discussion continued as she lifted her body from the chair and with a slow, sensual walk she came close to him, putting her heel on the wall next to his head while her long, black blazer dangled behind her leg:

"Yes, I saved you from spending eternity in a freezer, no I am not attracted to you in any possible way, and yes you are my prisoner. You are gonna tell me everything you know about the ones who sought medical care from your doctor"

"Sorry doll, the doc is dead and my services weather medical, translational or informational come with a price"

"I don't think you realize the seriousness of this situation, you see"

Uncrossing her hands, with her head proudly glaring at the ceiling she dug her long, black heel into his wound.

"I can do this, and many other things all day. I suggest you tell me all that I want to know because, you are just too ugly to be killed"

Grunchlk's eyes squeezed tightly from the pain, and a high pitch pig like voice came out from his throat. His pain was a tasty snack for her, making her look down as his body shook and his face distorted in agony.

"Ok, ok I'll talk. The peacekeepers were here with Scorpius, the Scarran half breed that's after the knowledge John Crichton possess in his head"

He stopped talking, and just to motivate him, she reeled her heel even deeper menacingly yelling:

"And the others, why were they here?"

"What others, there were no others" a tense voice came off his mouth as he leaned on the side in pain

"John, Aeryn, D'Argo, Stark, Zhaan and the Dominar, why were they here?"

"Their living ship was burned badly"

"Everything, Grunchlk tell me everything, stop struggling, I can tell when you are hiding something"

She pushed her hill even deeper into his arm, inch after inch as it slowly slid further, she could hear the cracking of the bone as the hole was expanding under the pressure of her leg. Grunchlk's pain intensified when her hill hit the wall behind him, nailed on the wall with a female boot high heel, unable to tolerate the pain his screams almost broke the thin ice of the chandelier hanging of the roof. Cyntrina noticed her snack was preventing him from even thinking about what she needed to know, so wanting a little more of his pain, she pulled her heel out of him in a blink of an eye. White blood gushed of his arm from the hole that was even bigger than before, causing him to shake in pain and scream like a pig right before slaughter. He barely came to his senses making Cyntrina wait in boredom as the pain slowly decreased its intensity. His breathing barely stabilized, and taking a deep breath he continued with a tormented whisper:

"They came here, to remove a micro chip Scorpius put in Crichton's head a while back. He put it there to gather information about wormholes, traveling through them and making weapons out of them"

Standing over his shriveled body with her glove caressing her lips, a thought passed her mind

"So, Crichton can manipulate wormholes"

This pathetic creature actually gave her an idea, she could try leaping astrally into a wormhole, that way the risk of dying would be minuscule, and she could even find Earth. Once he was done talking she turned to Grunchlk and said:

"Ok, listen up I am not hungry and even if I was I wouldn't consume a meal as nasty as you, a girl's got to have standards"

Happy he was going to stay alive, he spoke:

"Thank you for saving my life, and not taking it afterwards whoever you are"

She knelled before him, ominously looking into his eyes causing him to retire into the wall:

"But if you are lying to me … I will kill you"

Seeing and sensing he was honest, her long legs stretched before his following eyes, she looked down one last time before leaving the frozen dump of a planet, and left him unsatisfied with her answer:

"Thank you, and no I won't tell you my name"

After this event on the ice planet, she returned on the planet of shadows – Valdun preparing, meditating, and feeding, so she could gather mental power to track them down. Every night as she meditated her astral leaps lasted longer, covered more distance, but drained almost all of her power. Until one night, she sat in her room and noticed the smell of death on Valdun was a distraction; it only tickled her appetite, made her hungry. That was the reason her spirit kept returning, it wasn't her astral sense that was weak – it was the physical senses, her nose smelling the mortal scent of the decomposing bodies, her ears hearing the moans of the dying in the rooms next to hers.

_"I can't have that"_

She thought, and stood up from the bed reaching for her clothes, as the red silk cloak unveiled her body. After getting dressed, she headed straight to the dealer she knew always hung out in the dreadful lobby dealing dead bodies.

"I need incense and a golden pyramid" the dealer heard her voice from behind him.

"Is it my favorite evil witch I am hearing?"

He toyed with her, since she was the main reason many mystics ended up dead in her quest for knowledge.

"Yes, fekkik it's me. Do you have what I need?"

"Here is my fine collection of golden pyramids"

He pulled his empty, filthy hands off his pockets, and put them in front of her. Her slightly squinted eyes looked at him with annoyance:

"Don't play dumb with me, you know how much I hate sarcasm"

"Incense I can give you, but anything golden gets robbed before it even lands on this planet"

His scarred lips moved in regret, while his half bald, pale head made a slight sway toward the landing station, looking at none other than Aeryn Sun's mother – Zalax Sun:

"You will have to deal with her; she's the only one with gold around here, and no one is stupid enough to rob her"

Cyntrina's eyes feasted on the view of this tough, senior peacekeeper officer walking in this dump of a joint, half burned face, covered with a hooded coat that went down to her knees, warn out red special unit peacekeeper uniform peeking from under it, and an artificial wooden leg she put on the place of the one she amputated herself. She was magnificent, a peacekeeper version of herself, but without the mental powers. She sat on a table in what was left from the bar, drinking some raslak all alone.

"When did she get here?"

Cyntrina's curiosity peeked from the wail of anger she always wore:

"Just a few arns ago, she landed and started bribing everyone. She's a fugitive from the Peacekeepers"

The dealer answered leaning over his reception desk.

"Say hi, she doesn't bite… much"

A contemptuous smile brought his bad teeth to light, making Cyntrina walk away with disgust.

"Thank you for not doing that sooner"

Zalax's head lifted to the sight of someone sitting on the decaying seat across her, seeing Cyntrina grinning with curiosity on her face she spoke:

"Who are you, and what do you want?"

"I am someone who can give you what you need, for a price"

She answered crossing her legs, and leaning her head on her hand.

"You have three seconds to get up from that chair before I …"

Zalax didn't even finish the sentence, before Cyntrina's interruption:

"Or you will shoot me with your gun under the table"

Zalax looked at her, unimpressed and replied:

"My upbringing gives me away"

Cyntrina's eyes looked deep into this tormented woman's thoughts, and found a tasty hate full meal

"How would your upbringing as you say, tell me about the daughter that ruined your happy little peacekeeper life? Aeryn I think it's her name?"

Zalax jumped on her feet and pushed the table towards Cyntrina in an attempt to capture, and then question her, bur her effort seemed to be useless once the pray somehow, threw the table across the room with a swing of her hand. Finally amazement emerged on her face:

"How did you?… what the?..."

"Let me make it easy for you"

Still sitting on the chair, she swiftly pushed the piece of broken glass from Zalax's bottle off her leather blazer with her hand, and proceeded widening her deep, dark eyes:

"I, can read minds. Yours is like an open book to me, you want to find your daughter, and make her suffer the way you did when you lost everything because of her"

"Why do tell me this?"

"Because you have something I want"

"And what is that?"

"Gold or a golden pyramid whatever, one of them will serve me"

Zalax put her hand in her pocket, and slowly pulled out a small pyramid shaped golden object. Once the light touched it, its' strange shapes carved around it danced before Cyntrina's greedy eyes. On the three sides of the tiny pyramid were three totally different symbols, one early Sebacean, one Interon and the last one, unknown to both of them was an eye, smooth yet symmetrical, with a strange line that was slightly bent under an angle, curled at the end and a triangular shape coming out of it. Just as she tried to reach for it, Zalax covered it with her fingers and pulled her hand up, behind her head.

"If I give you this, what can you do for me?"

"Well, I can try not killing you, does that work for you?"

"Don't play games with me; even with your powers I can still kill you"

"Ok, you can try but it won't work. On the other hand, if I try it will work"

"You think you can trust my thoughts? Think again"

Zalax replied with a smile shrouded with rage, ominously standing in front of Cyntrina, and looking at the crowd behind her.

"Oh, you have acolytes that will shoot me dead if I try to kill you? Good to know. You have my attention what do you want"

She sat on the chair, once again looking at what was left of once exemplary peacekeeper officer. Zalax too, set on her chair and with her palms locked in a knot spoke:

"I have information that a Leviathan/peacekeeper gun ship is coming this way. On it is Aeryn, I want you to tell me her thoughts and a way to destroy her"

Cyntrina couldn't believe her ears; Aeryn was coming to her planet! What a day, first the mother and now the daughter, and better yet she was going to get a chance to dive into her feelings, thoughts and fears. She didn't let her excitement get the better of her and with a cold, blatant expression on her face she answered:

"Alright, but first give me my pyramid"

"You better deliver"

Zalax looked at her, with those empty menacing eyes, and threw the pyramid to this powerful creature she didn't want close to her any longer. She didn't want her deepest pain to be put to words by some stranger with telepathic and telekinetic powers. What her heart was truly aching for, love and forgiveness. All those years of killing, serving as an assassin made her bitter, ruthless and merciless, but deep down she didn't want any of it, she wanted to get away from all that rage and find piece…

"You won't be disappointed"

Cyntrina answered, and walked away from the disillusion this woman's thoughts and feelings brought her. She was walking up the stairs to her room, thinking of Zalax with disgust:

_"I want to destroy her, make her suffer – frelling hypocrite what you really want, is to die you old worn out tralk. Sometimes, I really hate it when they think they can hide things from me, it's like you are eating a great pie, with crispy outside but mushy crap on the inside it just reels you in, and then knocks you out with the stench Yak!"_

The walls of her room embraced the aroma of burning incense, suppressing the strong odor of death bound in the planet's atmosphere.

_"Much better"_

Taking a deep whiff, she sat on the bed with the pyramid Zalax gave her jammed on a cheap copper necklace she ripped off one of the dead bodies.

_"Now, let's see if this helps me focus"_

Her spirit parted from her body, lifting in Valdun's upper atmosphere and to her surprise, this time it was different. Her movements were easy and smooth, all the way throughout her stroll around Valdun, unlike all the other times, when her body kept pulling back and blurred her perspective, now clear in this weightless dive when she finally unlocked the secret that enabled her to see just how amazing, and how beautiful this collapsing planet actually was from up there. She could see what used to be a shore line, where there once was a stunning ocean, now was an infinite desert swallowing the sinking cities at a slow rate.

Even the rays of the star that gave the dim light of the days on Valdun got to her spirit, making the temperature of her physical body rise

"_Oh, now this I didn't foresee"_

She thought while plunging in the dark, thick clouds griping the planet.

_"Now this is freedom, the Luxan was right. Well she also said a man will ruin my plan and that is simply, not going to happen"_

Her angry spirit roamed in Valdun's sky, hair dark as night, waving like the most gentle of all canvases, a body stretching gracefully, dispersing the clouds covered in red silk complementing her movements. A truly beautiful sight for the mystics that could see it.

Her dance in the sky was interrupted when she anticipated a message, coming out of a prowler to a communication device on the planet.

_"Peacekeeper, secured lines – well for someone other than me"_ she thought, rushing to see who was piloting it. Getting close, through the glass she saw a familiar party – Aeryn Sun. But something was wrong, the lack of emotion on her face made it even more difficult to notice her feelings, she seemed absent, not thinking about anything but her meeting, a level of focus she admired. Tucked up closely to the prowler, she listened to the ongoing conversation

"Comms are secured; landing in less than 10 microts"

"Positive identification of your vessel, rendezvous in 15 microts, north corner"

"Copy that, over"

Cyntrina was getting frustrated; all this peacekeeper chit chat annoyed her ridiculously.

_"Why can't they ever keep it simple and say, "Hey I'm here" and "Ok, meet me at the pathetic excuse for a hotel" every once in a while"_

She couldn't risk some mystic seeing her spirit and letting Aeryn know she was spying, so she reunited with her body, exhaling deeply, she put out the burning incense and rushed to the bar of the neighboring hotel. Aeryn and another female Sebacean were already there, Aeryn was the way she remembered her to be, a solider with a tight green sweater – standard peacekeeper issue, black leather pants joined in boots, and her black heavy looking guns. To someone who didn't know her, she looked like she was still a peacekeeper.

The other Sebacean was particularly intriguing, wearing an old olive green blanket over her head that served also as a coat, long skirt covered her legs with dark brown and a tunic, barely noticeable from the way she stooped in her walk, clothes that blended right in the crowd of the planet. If she didn't know better, the clothes and her face, smudged with filth could fool her for another mystic. They sat on two separate booths in the right, dark corner with their backs turned at each other, and their looks in front of them. The following discussion intrigued Cyntrina's mind, as she walked indifferently to the other corner of the bar, got comfortable on the one booth in decent condition for seating, and stared listening to their words and feeling their emotions.

Aeryn: "Name and regiment?"

The Sebacean: "Dita Haern, former peacekeeper officer delta team"

Aeryn:"Delta team?"

Dita:"does that surprise you"

Aeryn:"No, I haven't heard of such unit"

Dita:"We don't exist to the peacekeepers, that's the reason for your confusion"

Aeryn:"Why did you want to meet me?"

Dita:"You are a defector from the Peacekeepers, something we have in common"

Aeryn:"What do you want?"

Dita:"To recruit you"

Aeryn:"To do what exactly?"

Dita:"Our unit monitors massive murder activities, and deploys missions of treat elimination"

Aeryn:"You are working independently from the peacekeepers, and perform assassinations?"

Dita:"Not quite, we operate under command of a few commandos whose names are familiar to clearance level 9"

Aeryn:"I thought there were only 5 levels of rank clearance?"

Dita:"So did I before I entered the covert squad elite training"

Aeryn:"You are a spy?"

Dita:"Something of that kind."

Aeryn:"What do you need me for?"

Dita:"Mission requirement"

Aeryn:"What mission, what are you talking about?"

Dita:"My job is to gather intelligence, and procure an assassin for my next mission"

Aeryn:"Alright, so you want me?"

Dita:"Yes, since we have few resources available and I handle multiple grounds"

Aeryn:"I will think about it"

Dita:"I need your answer in 5 planet rotations, I can't stay any longer"

Aeryn:"See you in 5 days then"

Dita:"same place, same time"

They parted just as they met; secretly, first Aeryn got up and walked to the lobby, then after a few microts the other Sebacean was gone.

_"So, considering becoming an assassin? That offers possibilities"_

Cyntrina thought to herself, while her fingers played with one of the cigar holes in the cheap, old velvet of the booth.

Aeryn was ignorant of the spirit that constantly surrounded her, as she hit rock bottom on this forsaken planet of the dead. Constantly creeping over her every move, cooking up a plan for her mother in order to make the pain even harder, stronger. Cyntrina was surprised to find that for Aeryn was grieving for John's death, she had memories of him dying a slow death in her arms, memories that made her blow a hole in the collapsing wall of her room, thinking John got away from her, she couldn't kill him, couldn't enslave his kind. But satisfaction lit up her face once again when Aeryn's mind thought of the other John, the clone swearing loyalty to the John that died.

_"There were two of them, still one left"_

Cyntrina's mind found a satisfactory answer. When Zalax failed in her attempt to kill Aeryn, Cyntrina was elated, she couldn't get close to see it happen because of the Stykera – Stark, and his power to see spirits but once she saw Aeryn, sitting on the booth from the first time she got on Valdun, as her memories floated while she waited for Dita, she fed of the pain Aeryn was reliving. Assuming her previous position, she waited for the spy too, and when she came the conversation brought her some valuable revelations:

Dita:"Your answer?"

Aeryn:"I accept"

Dita:"good, in 20 solar days, encode your personal sequence in this device, the team, meeting place and target is here, if you do it sooner, or enter the wrong code it will self-destruct " she then pulled out a small circular beacon from her tunic and passed it to Aeryn.

Aeryn, feeling the cold metal on her hand answered:"Will I ever see you again?"

Dita:"No, no one ever does, I will be recruited as an assassin if you are terminated or if you desert. Good luck"

Aeryn:"Goodbye"

Just as Aeryn left, Cyntrina picked her next lunch. This time it wasn't getting away, she got up, and begun stalking her pray, waiting for Dita to take her to her vessel; She was very careful, well trained, master in disguises but still, no match for a predator that took more than 300 cycles to perfect it's evolution. Once Cyntrina saw her going towards the underground part of the boarding station, all alone with a jumpy step, she moved in quickly, knocking her on the ground, she stood on her back with a face full of contempt and hand over Dita's body, that was paralyzed in fear from this unknown enemy threatening her life and her mission:

Cyntrina:"Hello spy"

Dita:"Nah, nah-ana-te" she mumbled something deceivingly, totally surprised by the attack

Cyntrina: "There is really no need for that; I know who you really are"

Dita:"How?"

Cyntrina:"I don't usually engage conversation with my food, but I guess a girl can make an exception or two, think about the mission you recruited Aeryn Sun for, and I might just tell you my secret"

Under her boot, laying helplessly with face full of dust, she thought about the mission but her ignorance about Cyntrina's powers led to a last attempt to deceive her:

"Food? Mission? You are one crazy tralk. I'm just a thief"

Cyntrina:"Off course you are, and I am queen of Valdun, where is your base of operation"

Dita, thinking to herself with expression shrouded in confusion:

"I really don't know"

Cyntrina, bored and a little annoyed:

"Fine, I'll do it the easy way"

Her boot moved away from her back, and just as Dita's body made a fling in the air, in an attempt to kill this enemy that came out of nowhere, Cyntrina extended her arm towards her, and with a slight turn of her palm on the left Dita's neck made a snapping noise, braking in an instance. Not wasting any precious time, she took her essence and every secret, fear, mission details, resource management, intelligence codes, everything, but one glitch – the location of the main base, and the details of Aeryn's mission, but that wasn't a problem for her – she was going to follow Aeryn to the base anyway. Dita was a ghost, a face with no name a simple recruiter of assassins that no one but her handling officer knew, a detail that could be easily handled, since he was also always looking for deserters. She stood over her body, looking for her guns and her identification chip, slowly removing Dita's clothes she thought:

_"Even if the frelling galaxy freezes over, I wouldn't put that on me. Lucky for me, and my excellent clothing habits, she was always under cover"_

Amazed by all the artillery Dita had under the blanket, her thoughts made sense of every piece of weapon she carried, with help of the knowledge of the dead spy whose role she planed on taking over, once Aeryn was done with her mission.

"Thank you for your cooperation"

Her voice broke the numb silence in the space parking venue, followed by the sound of her heels mounting the steps of the red and black slaughter vessel. Once she was in, her reaction to the many deadly toys was absolutely hilarious; she kept spinning around in circles, frantically checking it out, her fingers were on fire with the hologram generator in the control room, whipping up 3D models of the vessel and it's many hits. Pure joy, rattled her face with crazy look, and even crazier smile until finally the excitement wore off, and she threw herself on the red comfortable driver seat.

_"Now, this is a sweet ride. Let's see just how fast it can go"_

She powered it up, and the vibrations it emitted from being in a confined space added to the fun she was having even more, while she was priming the main cannon to blow a hole in the roof of the underground hall. The crumbling thunder the shot provoked, left her eyes staring in the flying rubble with her mouth open:

_"Woow, got to love a big cannon"_

Exiting the hall in a blink of an eye, she took one last glance of Valdun, the planet were her powers grew immensely, where she started practicing patience, learned how to meditate, and unleash her spirit further into space, a place that gave her the necessary knowledge to become the vicious predator she needed to be.

_"Who would have thought a dump like this could offer so much."_

Abruptly pulling the control wheel up, she exited Valdun's atmosphere accelerating to maximum speed. Once she was done playing, she sat in the vessel's headquarters and begun her meditation, searching for Aeryn in order to get to Moya. Her spirit locked on Aeryn's essence, moving faster than light and seeing the universe in a different way. Everything was moving, the stars seemed to travel besides her, leaving trails of light behind, this almost made her lose focus, but the pyramid Zalax gave her did its trick, channeling her spirit even further until finally, she reached Moya.

Her spirit was floating just a few meters from the Leviathan, barely recognizable in the dark, but she found it, after so many cycles of looking; now, it stood right in front of her eyes, amazing them with its lights softly moving, and breaking up the darkness in her travel. Her spirit penetrated the skin of the tear shaped biomechanoid beast and begun her stroll. She was in one of the transport hangars, gracefully bouncing around its half circle bronze colored walls, smelling the gas fumes of the leviathan transport pods, Aeryn's peacekeeper prowler and some primitive module that caught her attention.

She put her bare feet on the rough floor, right next to it and started looking at the strange, white, triangle shaped piece of barely flight descent, aerodynamic disaster.

_"This has to be human; it's the most pathetic thing that has ever floated in space!"_

The echoing voice of ultimate disappointment, the hand on the chin accompanied with her rolling eyes made it obvious she was bored even though she struck gold. She got closer to the module, touching it with her translucent, red hand she caught a small glimpse of Earth, some black symbols glued on to its white surface. The single dark symbols varied in size and were confusing her, but the one that caught her interest, was the rectangle. Made of red and white stripes, containing a blue square in the left corner filled with 52 other tiny symbols.

_"This looks like a logo of some kind"_

She leaned over the American flag, and studied it in great detail until the DRDS interrupted her, with their nervous mingling around her spirit, vaguely sensing her presence.

_"Frell, I forgot about the diagnostic repair drones every leviathan has. Time to catch up with myself"_

She exited the living ship, and floated right behind it while her body was closing in, attracted to her calls. Her presence was astonishing, a red gloating spirit, breaking the darkness with her delicate movements covered in red silk that caressed the translucent body. In her slow dance, she saw Aeryn's prowler slowly exiting the leviathan accompanied by John's module. She witnessed everything they felt for each other, John's deep love for her brought pain to his heart on the thought of her parting, Aeryn's painful memories of the lost lover that tore her soul in two.

_"Well, well, well she is finally off to the base"_

Her spirit mumbled, gripping to Aeryn's prowler. She had the details of her mission – Aeryn was going after a Lukythian prime leader, but the main base of operation was still unknown to her, since Aeryn never went there. The team of four assassins met on a small commerce station not far from Moya. Since her body was still traveling, she stuck with them throughout the whole time they executed the mission. It was a complete success, they left a trail of dead bodies for her to feast on, but what they didn't know at the time, was that a neurotoxin was released in the air, once the prime leader's head got blown by a pulse blast. They sunk rapidly into Sebacean heat delirium, drifting in space. Cyntrina entered each of three prowlers, and consumed what was left of their essence, watching them go out like the vague red lights from their prowlers.

Finally she headed to Aeryn's prowler, but she realized Aeryn was gone, someone took her while she was busy feeding, the only time she lost her sensitivity. Her spirit was raging in screams between the desire to go after her, and finish her off and the duty that lied before her – to find the secret base. Finally, once reason prevailed and her spirit reunited with her body, she decided not to lose precious time and go in search of the base. The complete picture of the three races, soon to be her allies – Nebari, Lukythian and Plokavian was revealed. Her search for the command base of the assassins was of vital meaning – only there she could find the necessary resources to put the three leaders in one place.

Her quest led her to a small dark planet hiding in the shadow of a gas giant, a place that a small group of assassins were using as base for secret operations. She found its mental leakage very intriguing, dedication and hate with a touch of fear from exposure. She landed her modified marauder, and watched the red and black peacekeeper uniforms appear in the cloud of mist surrounding the planet, crawling around her in less than a microt. The silver medallion just under the neck gave out their leader, who ordered her to exit the vessel.

She accepted to play by their rules, and exited her prowler with her hands up. Although it was dark, the light coming from her vessel enabled her to see their faces, while her mind was catching on to their frantic thoughts about exposure. With their weapons pointed at her, the young man's lips went off in a fast, but coordinated manner:

"Captain Minir Cruze Ustar Regiment special duty assignment. Identify yourself or face retribution"

She jumped of the prowler, animating the mist and looking at the soldiers' fast reflexes with amazement as she spoke:

"You know, for ex peacekeeper delta force you haven't lost your touch"

The soldiers didn't even flinch on her comment; their pulse pistols were still locked on her body, awaiting orders from their captain who slowly approached what seemed to be hostile visitor on their secret base, with his hands behind his back. He's firm steps stopped disturbing the mist in front of her, and taking a deep breath from the air with a vague anesthetic smell he answered:

"Name and regiment"

Seeing how they weren't surprised by her knowing this data, the pieces of the puzzle fell down pretty quick in her mind – she found the assassins base of operation:

"Officer Dita Haern delta regiment"

The captain, having read a report about this asset and her latest recruit, suspiciously asked:

"Last recruit and asset position?"

Cyntrina knew the answer all too well:

"Ex Officer Aeryn Sun, position – deserted"

Doubt took over the face of the young captain, but her story was believable since officer Sun was considered mission terminated, and once the recruit is dead or deserted the recruiter got change of ranks – from intelligence gathering, to mission enforcement, and Dita's reports were speaking for themselves. What he didn't know, was the real officer Dita Haern's body was laying face down on Valdun – doing of Cyntrina of course. Eventually, the tension broke when the captain decided to trust her, a decision that would prove to be wrong. He offered a friendly hug, taking her in his arms, and a pat on the shoulder with the words:

"Welcome to a different kind of defense"

Her eyes lit up in contempt, when she saw the pulls pistols lowering and realized her cover as a former spy for the peacekeepers worked perfectly, now all she had to do was steal some of their resources, and locate the leaders of the three races chasing the escaped prisoners, The Plokavians, Nebari and Lukythians. Plotting the way to do this in her mind, she walked with firm, steady step on the planet's cold surface shrouded in anesthetic mist, together with the team that almost killed her on her arrival.

"Diluted anesthetic mist, smart move when you don't want anyone spying on you" she broke the silence of their walk to the underground base.

"Yes, idea of the captain before me due to a previous incident of exposure. That's why, we now take severe measures"

The captain answered, with his knees on the steal horizontal entrance putting in his code in the lock.

"Impressive, mist on the surface, underground base" she raised her eyebrow curiously

"The mist also contributes for the constant formation of clouds, making it even more difficult for locating our base"

The captain continued proudly, descending the stairs into the entrance of the full functioning buried command carrier.

"You are using the dense gravity of this planet as a natural power source?"

She asked, bored by his ego and thoughts of pride in his genius solution.

"Yes, it was actually my idea"

The unsuspecting captain answered, with a vague gloat in his voice

_"Cry me a river peacekeeper deserter, I'm not into all this commando stuff I should just kill them all right now and be done with it"_

Her mind was bored by the detached uniform atmosphere that wasn't even a challenge for her mental powers – she could predict every single action without any effort.

_"Keep it together Cyntrina, don't kill anyone you don't want them to hunt you as a killer but as a thief"_

Their utter degree to which they dedicated to their missions annoyed her dreadfully, but she wasn't going to give herself away. The identification chip she stole from Officer Dita Haern, together with the pulse pistols, and the codes got her into the base undetected but her cover could get blown at any microt. The walk in the carrier served her to get a better picture for the peacekeepers, dark corridors, and if obedience had a scent, it would be the smell inside the buried command carrier. Captain Minir led her to her quarters but something bothered him all the way, like something was wrong but he couldn't quite put his finger on it;

"This is your premise, once we review your file, you will be summoned for further dealings"

He exited the room with a sharp, official attitude leaving Cyntrina in the tight room between the black walls and the tiny resting lounge. Confused and left feeling miniscule, she couldn't even hear her own whisper

"You call this a premise? The room on Valdun had more breathable air than this can. Whatever, I'll be leaving soon so who cares"

Knowing her cover would fall apart, once they see the file of officer Dita with the real picture of her, she hurried to the intelligence gathering facility. The data she got from the spy, and the assassins served her well, she walked around the command carrier as she had been there, avoiding any contact, with her spirit floating a head of her body she got to a surveillance cabin where she found a tall, fully functioning computing device, with hundreds of cables and entry points. Since she never killed a peacekeeper tech, and one wasn't anywhere near her she decided to brake in the system using her mental power:

_"Well this will have to do, now let's try something new"_

She jumped back in her body, and with her hands on the device, she pulled the data right off the system, it was like she was feeding on raw, refined data, actual words and numbers

_"Yak, it tastes like painting canvas"_

Her face shriveled in disgust, but she never gave up just because of some minor setback like – taste, and continued her quest for data even after the system intruder alarm went off, until the locations on all three leaders were inside her mind. The new Lukythian prime leader – Eneck D'Naho, the Nebari leader – Uralus and the Plokavian – Xeracs Lognata. Dramatically opening her eyes, a smile emerged on her face as she headed to the disguise generator, just a few meters from the cabin. The command carrier was on lock down, with all the operatives frantically hunting for an intruder, but no one noticed her slipping into the generator and designing a new cover identity for her next mission. After consuming the raw data from the computing device, the smell of fabric inside the generator gave her cramps but she toughened it up, proceeding with cover sequence voice command:

"Cover sequence – delta force, operating officer – Dita Haern, clearance level 6, objective – diplomatic identity kit, extent – full cover, vessel included, access to vessel – immediate"

After one, long microt of tense standby after she entered the machine, looking at the entrance of the generator, waiting for company in the narrow space between its reflective glass, the identity kit was ready and good to go, she grabbed the documents from the dispenser right above her, and the clothes from the one next to it and stood on the circular opening to the channel leading straight to the diplomatic vessel. She slid all way through the dark tunnel, landing outside the command carrier, right in the seat of the diplomatic ship, whose systems were also voice activated so the vessel spoke to her: "All systems at your command diplomat Zira Clit, insert coordinates to next location" her disapproval for the terrifying name screamed in her mind, while she was entering the coordinates in the vessel's system

_"Oh, come one Zira Clit, really? iIt sounds more like a sexual laborer than one of a diplomat"_

Her firm voice gave the next command:

"Coordinates entered proceed to location, maximum velocity"

The vessel ignited its four powerful engines, and the quick acceleration glued Cyntrina to the seat, but she knew this was necessary in order to get away from the base as soon as possible. Once she saw the base vanishing behind her, she finally relaxed and took a peek at the diplomatic craft. Unlike the battle designed ones, this ship had no weapons what so ever, its interior was white and the controls were golden. It was definitely not to her liking, she pulled a hologram of it, to see the shape and model – a flat, triangular, shape quite elegantly designed for speed, in the absence of weapons. That part she found appealing, she also liked the clothes, long skirt, open on the sides made out of purple silk, with golden high quality hemp right in the middle of it and a tight, purple corset with a golden triangular strap for the neck.

On the base, captain Minir finally figured out what caused the intelligence leakage, seeing the palm prints on the fried computing device, but had no idea what kind of creature would do such a thing:

"Give me Officer Dita Haern's file"

His forehead wrinkled in confusion, once he realized the woman he just put into his secret base was not Officer Dita, he lost his breath once he saw her life disk was off – she was dead. His angry tone bounced from the walls:

"Search all tears, find her!"

But it was too late. She was gone and somehow, she scrambled the system, the surveillance beacons were all fried and the memory storage was destroyed.

"She must have used the cover identity generator, check for missing vessels, and last alias provided"

But it was all in vain, the dispensers where the last printing memory was stored were destroyed, melted in some way. Not wanting to state the obvious, the troops stood obediently as the captain's head glared at them with confusion and worry. The second in command officer asked the captain with reserve:

"Sir, a diplomatic vessel is missing form hangar 2, orders?"

"Fix the identity generator, get the last alias"

"But Sir, even if we get the alias, she was in our surveillance system"

"Your point being, lieutenant?"

"She could be anywhere, and we can't risk broadcasting a message about a rogue diplomat"

The captain's face sunk into the realization, there was a dangerous alien agent with unknown agenda, wandering what to do he stood on command while his troops awaited command. Finally he spoke:

"Fix the computing system and the ident generator, ignore the last incident, we have bigger issues to deal with"

The second in command protested with disagreement, smeared all over her face

"But Sir, we don't know what intelligence she took?"

The captain responded fiercely turning to her face:

"Yes, but we do know there is an upcoming war, and can't afford wasting time looting for some thief! Resume your posts."

Once she had all the leaders on an asteroid in neutral territories, while the Scarran – Peacekeeper war was raging, her patience was coming to an end, laying on one of the threes, and waiting for the leaders to come out of the slumber. She induced them with some very potent herbs growing on this rock she found by coincidence. Shrouded in flora that weakened her sense of smell with its fragrances, she watched the exotic colors of the plants and the way they flourished when the star giving them life rose on the horizon.

The slow crawling of the waking plants as light touched their tiny colorful bodies, slowly awakened the kidnappees. Seeing them open their eyes she spoke:

"Good morning lady and gentleman, how was your nap?"

Still dizzy from the drug, her wrinkled face full of leaking lesions and opened wounds, struggled to open her eyes that looked like they were going fall off at any moment, the Plokavian leader Xeracs Lognata trying to get up on her feet, with a touch of wrath in her screeching voice asked:

"What have you done to me, and where the frell are we?"

Cyntrina, seeing how feisty the old woman was, vaguely disgusted from the sight of her answered:

"I have simply drugged you, and taken you to this dump where no one can find you"

The Nebari leader Uralus, still laying on top of some low growing plants, asked while he was removing the plants stuck on his face:

"What do you want?"

Cyntrina looked at the gray color of his face, highlighted by the dark blue plant strapped on his head, and slightly amused by his lazy attempt to free it she answered:

"I want an audience"

The last to wake up was the Lukythian prime leader – Eneck D'Naho, whose body Cyntrina strapped against a rock, because of the sensitive glasses on his triangular shaped face. Once he woke up, tearing up the plant he spoke with a stale voice:

"The last thing I remember, was you telling me you were a Peacekeeper ambassador"

Xeracs, lifting what used to be an eyebrow, remembering the last thing before she woke up on this rock added to Eneck's answer:

"That's what she told me too!"

Uralus, finally free of the plant, with boredom from their complaints spoke:

"Obviously that was a lie I too have heard. Alright Sebacean, you got our attention. Now tell us why are we here? Are you going to kill us?"

Cyntrina, looking at them standing up on their feet, flipped her body in the air, landing in front of their confused faces and answered:

"No, no I don't want to kill you. I merely want to convince you that we all are natural allies"

Xeracs, taking a step towards her with a high tone asked:

"What do you mean allies?"

Cyntrina, walking behind the old woman, touching her shoulder beneath the rough Plokavian cloth, and nearing her ear whispered:

"I mean the Stykera you dispersed is still alive"

Continuing the settle noise of the flaking leaves from the plants her boots stepped on, she walked up to Enek, whispering the words:

"And I know who the last assassin of your brother is"

She then turned to Uralus, whispering another secret:

"I also know how to find Chiana – the sister of the leader of the Nebari resistance"

The three leaders glared at her with suspicion and wandering, while she sat on a rock and crossed her legs continuing her speech:

"You see, there is a war going on out there, and whoever wins will have to battle first the Nebari, then the Plokavians and finally the Lukythians. Now we all know who's the underdog in this war and when the Scarrans are done with the Peacekeepers, all of you will have to deal with plant eating, nasty looking species that should have been extinct a long time ago."

Xeracs, curiously stepping towards this overconfident creature, mildly frustrated her ruling cane got stuck in the roots of a red flower she failed to see, asked:

"What are you suggesting?"

Cyntrina's hair jumped on the pale shoulders with her sudden, proud leap before she spoke:

"An alliance between these three species"

The leaders all looked at each other with shock and bitterness on their faces, starting a heated quarrel, against her and against each other:

"First you imprison us, then you make outrageous suggestions, the Nebari could easily take on any Scarran fleet"

"As a Lukythian, I will not accept allegiance with such destructive species"

"Destructive!? You the race with the largest number of bio weapons, call us destructive?"

Feeling the rage in the high pitch voice of Xaracs, just before Enek opened his mouth to reply even more venomous answer; Cyntrina broke it up

"Gentleman, lady simmer down. There is no place for cockiness and mivonks measuring. First of all, you are not my prisoners; I don't see any chains or ropes tying you to anything. And secondly, think about it, how long have Plokavians craved for the Lukythian tissue re generator, that neutralizes the effects of novatron gas proximity in other words, to age gracefully and not be decomposing alive? And the Lukythians, with their desires for those seismic disruptors the Plokavians now make in much smaller sizes? And off course. the Nebari wanting some Plokavian dampening net, for their high pitch frequency collars, and those handy micro hologram generators from the Lukythians, in exchange for some of their engineering genius"

The leaders looked at each other once again, but this time the bitterness that previously vacated their faces was gone, on its' place – the scent of Cyntrina's victory – approval. Despite it, a doubt remained amongst their thoughts, they still couldn't help but to wander what does she get in this deal?

Uralus, holding his finger on top of his thin, gray mouth asked her the question on everyone's mind:

"Alright, if we accept this deal what's in it for you?"

Cyntrina, knowing they will agree since she could hear their cravings to get access to previously unreachable technology, to ensure their throne in front of their nations' eyes and yield more power, was still careful not to give this ability away answering his question:

"I get resources, and while you build armies and command centers, I go and get your prisoners back, the Nebari Chiana, the Lukythians' assassin, Stark the Plokavian murderer and John Crichton. He, Aeryn, the Luxan D'Argo, and I have some old scores to settle"

Seeing they were considering accepting the offer, she took the three hologram manifests she had made before, out of her pocket and turned to the leaders:

"I hope you don't mind but I had these made, they are from your home worlds' supreme courts, to exploit this situation, make sure you don't get any stupid ideas of killing me and all that"

The leaders looked at her with suspicion, but since they liked the deal they put their genetic imprint into the manifests.

"This day, you my friends made history".

And so the triad was born, a super force of three races, with all kinds of weapons of mass destruction. She had realized one big part of her plan to kill John, Aeryn and D'Argo. Now all she had to do, was get some new toys and find Earth – John's home planet, and make him watch as humanity screams his name in agony while she kills every single human alive.

Her plan worked to perfection, even the Nebari, Plokavians and Lukythians were pleased with the Triad treaty formation, once they saw the footage of the way John ended the war. This made them want his head too, considering it a token to great power. They gave Cyntrina the equipment she desired: Lukythian hologram micro generators that enabled her to leave a recording of herself or any other object in the room she is captured in; The Plokavians gave her jewelry, containing Novatrin gas that when inhaled ate its way from the inside to the outside, they also gave her custom designed half gloves, made out of fibers that contain seismic disruptors with whom she could take down buildings with her powers; The Nebari, gave her guns whose pulse came out like a red whip that could tear through any metal and could also be used as a rope, accompanied by a laser saw in form of a ring.

Her plan was coming to life just like she imagined. Now she only had to find Earth.


	3. An iron ticket to another universe

Ten years after the Scarran – Peacekeeper war, the rage of one woman slowly, painstakingly coaled in the heart of a battleship the size of two Scarran dreadnoughts. It was her, the one whose soul was polluted by darkness as a little girl still looking for Earth, for vengeance against one man, – John Crichton the astronaut considered to be lost in space. Cyntrina got even more powerful through the years, serving as an acolyte for the most powerful allegiance ever made, with the Nebari dedication, Plokavian persistence and the Lukythian trickery many races lost their once wining battles.

The best example for their ferociousness, was the complete annihilation of a few dozen Sebacean colonies, planets containing precious metals used to build the Triad's fleet of unstoppable death machines, in the very beginning of their treaty. They only sent one acolyte – Cyntrina. Standing on the first planet like an angel of death, a breeze carrying the locks of her hair behind the naked shoulders, rising from the black corset clamping the tiny waist; the three green Nogelty crystals, one placed right under her chest where her heart used to be, and two smaller ones, on her palms in shape of a star – the epicenter of her power, helping her focus and devour the soul of every single living creature on the planet; black leather tight around her arms and legs, heels thinner than any blade and dark, black eyes staring at the last sunset the colony was ever going to see, smelling the fragrance of the ocean, gently caressing the shorelines preparing for her feast.

Standing on the nearest hill to the habitat, the unsuspecting, primitive Sebaceans barely clothed, dancing in circles around a raging fire, during some ridiculous ritual seemed to think she was a goddess that fell from the sky, once she jumped right in the middle of their village. Astonished, they watched her every movement as the light of the flames danced on her body, listened to every deep, slow breath she took, until her palms touched the ground, kneeling with one leg extended. Her eyes, an abyss of darkness, staring right through every single one of them, a disturbing smile on her face once her pray felt a strong pulse penetrating the ground.

They all just stood there, looking at the ground with a wail of confusion and ignorance on their faces, until a rumble in the sky got their attention. Pointing their fingers, blabbing some words in amazement, their primitive leather skirts followed their every movement, while Cyntrina slowly straightened her body, once her ship's shadow fell on her, leaving only the light from the crystals to gloat in the dark. With a swing of her hand, a green rope appeared in a blink of an eye, stretching from her palm to the dark, triangular vessel, pulling her up to its entrance that seemed like it swallowed the dark goddess to the naïve Sebaceans. The dramatic flair she had to her personality only brought panic to the tribe, that increased once they felt the ground shake under their feet. From a mild shake, it culminated into hill tumbling, mountain crumbling incessant shaking, until the planet's lava core was the only thing left standing where the planet used to be. She watched it all, feeding on the fear of imminent death, until every single living organism fell in the hot, boiling lava. With her energy levels full, she would then comm. The Triad command center

"Target good for harvesting"

The Triad command center would then arrive at the scene, dispose of the lava and harvest the metal under it. At the end, the only trace left from every single planet would be its rocky, burned out core. Each time she destroyed a Sebacean colony, her fantasy went wild with thoughts of destroying humans, due to the remarkable physiology similarities between the two species. She had ten years of fun, even after the Scarrans and the Peacekeepers put up boarder stations in the uncharted territories, the Triad had many enemies, and they all disappeared without a trace overnight.

In the midst of the Triad's reign of terror, one human was millions of light years away from Earth on a living ship, living his dream with the woman of his dreams, his son and his friends. She was beautiful, a biomechanoid tear shaped ship called Moya, gracefully moving her massive body, that the vacuum of space rendered weightless. Ten years of travel in peace, without any one after them, John and Aeryn were enjoying Moya's terrace platform while she was slowly passing through small galaxy. The brightest star made love to this leviathan, embracing her with its light, caressing the mildly wrinkled skin with the warmth, and bringing bliss to all eight of her senses with its serenity.

Her inside was even more beautiful than the outside, long corridors of bronze metal, leading to wide living quarters that this ship's god like designers had made for her passengers. She was a gentle, bronze castle impossible for any human to fathom, yet somehow there he was, after 15 years still living there with a woman more complex than any leviathan, an upbringing of a solider but a soul of an angel Aeryn Sun, the mother of his son D'Argo Crichton Sun between his strong arms, in front of his son and feasting their eyes on the view of this small galaxy.

The little boy, a half human, half Sebacean was the joy of their lives, the fruit of their love and this gathering on the terrace, was to bring happiness to his small half Human half Sebacean heart, it was his birthday and his parents had a surprise for him. His little brown eyes lit up curiously, at the sight of his parents holding each other, with his tiny finger in his mouth, and a hair cut in shape of a cup on his head, he stood waiting for the big surprise they promised. Aeryn's long dark hair slid off John's hand, and the leather of her black pants squeaked as she slowly knelled before the little boy, telling him:

"For your tenth birthday, you, your father and I are invited to a planetary system called Hyneria."

Another squeak slipped in between her words as John joined her, and knelled in front of his son saying:

"You remember the small toad like uncle, that smelled funny sometimes?"

The little boy's face flinched in shock, remembering the smell of digested food, coming out from the behind of a green slug, changing everybody's voice, making them talk with a funny thin voice. Thinking of the funny voice part, the little boy answered with a smile of shame he covered with his little palms:

"Haha, the grandpa that made everyone talk funny"

Aeryn's jaw slightly dropped from the surprise her sun gave her, and with a look of disapproval, lowering her voice, she turned to John:

"Did you tell our son that Rygel farts helium?"

Unable to contain it, John's laughter filled the glass room, his arms waved in denial, while he struggled with his words:

"Don't look at me, he figured it out on his own! Besides that's Rygel's main characteristic, that and the fact that besides his small size, he can eat three times a human can"

Her elbow struck his chest, while a smile forced in a dose of anger took over her face as she mumbled:

"If you say anything more about Hynerian physiology in front of our son, I will kill you"

John's laughter stopped, as soon as the pain from the blow left him breathless, he then turned to his son with the words:

"Ok, never mind we are going to Hyneria buddy!"

The little boy threw his tiny body into the arms of his parents, squeezing them tightly with his tiny arms, and yelling with a voice that filled the terrace with joy:

"Yeeee, we are going to Hyneria!"

He then let go of his parents, biting his lower lip, and griping his cheeks, his thoughts racing while his voice was screaming:

"I'll go tell pilot and all the DRD's"

He left the room in a hurry, hands up in the air, those little feet stumping on the rough floor, John and Aeryn watched him, still kneeling with their teeth peaking from their big, sincere smiles.

They stood up; looking at each other, while John's hands gently wrapped around her waist, felling the scent of her long dark hair, his lips placed a delicate kiss on her smooth face, provoking a smile:

Aeryn: "You think he'll like it?"

John: "Hyneria? A bunch of toad looking Hynerians, approximately his height? What's not to like?"

Aeryn:"How long before the others get here?"

John, still holding her, turned to the man with all the answers, Moya's pilot. A big, noble purple creature, with a head in form of shell, and four arms sticking out of a sphere for a body, static and connected directly to the leviathan:

"Pilot, time until rendezvous?"

The creature answered, with a delicate but firm tone:

"Approximately one microt commander, they are already here landing in hangar 3"

Euphoria for seeing their friends again burst in their hearts, while their walk to the hangar gained in speed turning into a run. Getting to the hangar seemed like forever, even though it wasn't that far, and when they finally got there they saw D'Argo, Chiana and Sikozu, standing in front of a Hynerian vessel, saluting them with their warm smiles. John was particularly glad to see his best friend, standing on his feet since the last time he saw him, D'Argo was still recovering from the wounds he gained in the Scarran – Peacekeeper war. But now, he was fully healed, a tall brown Luxan with tentacles coming out from his head, the tattoos on his long chin and strong chest, a traditional red, part leather part hemp Luxan warrior uniform embracing his strong posture, accompanied by the Luxan qualta blade – a metal sword that turned into a potent gun, just like he always remembered him.

Aeryn was looking at Chiana, the Nebari girl with gray skin, always sensual with the puffy hair and clothes. She still had the spark of exuberance to her, even after 10 years spent on a farm on Hyneria, helping D'Argo recuperate. While D'Argo, Chiana, Aeryn and John were squeezing each other with affection, Sikozu stood cold and distant, nodding her head in honor of the reunion. She was Kalish; a race with pale skin, and barely visible red scales all over their body, characterized with extreme intelligence and calculated behavior, and even though her loyalty was questionable, D'Argo was in debt with her for saving him in the face of certain death during the war.

John's voice bounced from the walls of the hangar with excitement:

"Oh, man it's so good to see you all"

D'Argo, sharing his enthusiasm:

"It's good to be seen, after seven cycles of bed rest on a planet full of Hynerians"

"Don't complain D'Argo, they fixed you up pretty good"

Chiana responded while her arm was around Aeryn's neck.

Aeryn, holding Chiana's waist with one hand, turned to Sikozu, extending her other hand in an attempt to greet her.

Sikozu took Aeryn's hand, and shock it with caution turning to D'Argo and Chiana:

"D'Argo, Chiana should I tell them, or will you tell them?"

The happiness on John's and Aeryn's faces was instantly replaced by worried eyebrow lifting, once they saw the seriousness on D'Argo's face:

"We didn't come alone."

He stopped as his look drop on the rough, bronze floor. Chiana saw his hesitation, and decided to finish his sentence in a hurry:

"Scorpius is with us; he was on Hyneria, and insisted to come when he heard we were coming on Moya"

The surprise from what she said hit John and Aeryn like sucker punch in their stomachs, left Aeryn speechless with her for head frozen, as her hand fell from Chiana's tiny waist. John on the other hand, had much to say or better yet, yell at his friends with his hands swinging in the air, in a characteristically human manner:

"Are you guys nuts? You have got to be kidding me; you brought a class A psychopath on my family's home? Why D'Argo, why would you do that?"

Sikozu, noticing shame on both D'Argo and Chiana's faces, answered him in a cold, direct manner:

"Your ranting a side, he is here to talk to us about a serious matter"

"I don't even carry a gun in front of my son, and you brought Leather face right through the freaking front door"

Realizing there was a gap in the belt of his pants, where his pulse pistol used to be, he covered his face with his palm, still struggling to make sense of the situation. Noticing how upset her husband was, Aeryn tried calming the heating situation, while cold sweat covered her body:

"Alright, tell him to come out slowly, and talk quickly"

Sikozu then lifted her hand, but not all the way, delicately swung her fingers signaling Scorpius to come out of the ship.

A strong smell of leather filled the walls as he walked slowly, almost menacingly towards them, a creature dressed up in black shield of leather, deployed in layers all over his body, highlighting his broad shoulders, and leaving only three fractions of his pale face visible, the blue eyes with the highlighted wrinkles around them, the nose, sticking out from under the leather lace and the pinkish mouth, extending a smile of satisfaction noticing the effect he had on everyone in the room. A calm, soft voice came out of his mouth, extending a warm greeting with a nod of his head:

"John, Aeryn…"

John: "Grasshopper... honey give me a gun"

He turned to his wife, waiting for her to give him a weapon of any kind. Aeryn slowly pushed back his arm, saying:

"He's unarmed John"

"I don't care, his head is full of exploding cooling rods, or light blasts, or whatever comes out from the circles with small buttons where his ears used to be"

Scorpius' steps stopped right next to Sikozu, reassuringly opening his arms towards John:

"Crichton, I am harmless to you all, I assure you"

"The last time you were harmless to us all on this ship, your piece incentives forced me to open a giant black hole to end a war"

John's yelling echoed in the hangar, as the tension was heating up. Taking a step towards John, Chiana's cold palm touched the frantic Crichton, pulling him toward D'Argo and Aeryn:

"Listen John, calm down he has no interest in hurting you, he just wants to talk"

D'Argo supported Chiana's effort, and looking in their faces shriveled in worries for the well being of their sun, continued:

"Once he's finished he'll be on his way out of here, he is a Scarran – peacekeeper ambassador now, and has access to some intriguing data"

Looking at the face that brought him nightmares a long time ago, John's panic was still crawling under his skin:

"I don't care if he's the supreme leader of the freaking universe! I don't want him here!"

Aeryn grabbed his chin, and looking deeply in his blue eyes said:

"All the more reason for us to hear him out, once he's done he'll be gone, and we will be setting a course to Hyneria"

Fighting with his own denial, John finally settled, turning to the half Scarran, half Sebacean creature:

"You have two microts to explain why you are here… start talking"

Scorpius commenced the discussion, standing absolutely calm while John's panic was vaguely under control:

"My position as a leading operative of two large bodies of information – the Peacekeeper and the Scarran ones, has lead me to a notice a rise of power, or better yet unity of three powerful races."

John: "Who, the gorillas, baboons and the chimps?"

Scorpius continued, not understanding John's reference:

"The Nebari, Plokavians and Lukythians."

Aeryn: "What about it, we know they are in alliance for more than 9 cycles?"

Scorpius: "In the last 5 cycles, there have been some unusual activities"

Aeryn:"How unusual?"

Chiana: "One day the Sheyangs are out scouting dead ships, and killing whoever's left, and the next day they are gone unusual."

Scorpius: "This happened to other species that invaded Nebari, Plokavian and Lukythian territories, even the assassins we once had are gone without a trace."

John: "Someone is killing scum, so?"

Aeryn: "John, the assassins were Sebacean teams with missions to kill mass murderers"

John:"Ok, ok, sorry, I know you were an assassin. So?"

Scorpius: "This has been going on for cycles, and we still haven't gotten any answers from the Triad. They claim to have nothing to do with it"

D'Argo: "The Scorvian planets were found almost abandoned, with only a few colonies of women and children. Someone destroyed everything, leaving no evidence behind"

John:"I thought you hated them, what's the problem?"

D'Argo: "There is a force that is rummaging the galaxy John, and there is nothing left, no footage, no witnesses."

Scorpius:"My suspicions in the Triad began when I noticed the border crossing stations, in the vicinity of each attack there was a single Triad command center"

Sikozu: "Two times bigger than a Scarran dreadnought, carrying the Triad's leaders"

Scorpius: "Thank you, as I was saying, their lead command center was always near an attack, but they always claimed they operate strictly diplomatic and trading missions."

Aeryn: "You think they had something to do with the attacks?"

Scorpius: "Oh yes. And the last cycle, the attacks have stopped completely."

John: "So they put their plans on a hold, what's so weird about that? Maybe they are making more toys to play with, retiring who cares?"

Scorpius: "You have an amazing talent of overlooking things, John"

John:"And you need to stop shaking like a dead chicken to anything out of the ordinary"

D'Argo: "John, hear him out, I know it may not make much sense but I told you, I saw a Lukythian ship during the war and still have no idea what it was doing in some ones else's war"

John replied with indifference in his voice:

"D, you were bleeding, dying, hallucinating…"

Sikozu: "We know what we saw"

John: "Oh, great little miss loyalty backs the Luxan's fantasies"

Scorpius:"They were watching the outcome of the war"

Aeryn: "Ok, so they were spying. What's the big deal?"

Scorpius:"I think, they are planning a takeover"

John:"And what the hell does that have to do with us?"

Scorpius continued with conviction, moving closer to John with his finger closing in on his head:

"John, the easiest way to cease power is to kill you, Aeryn, Chiana, D'Argo and Stark"

John, backing away behind Aeryn, yelling at him:

"Wooohooow, don't touch me! Look Scorpy, you make no sense whatsoever"

Scorpius:"I know what I am talking about. Oh, by the way where is Stark?"

Aeryn: "He's on a planet not far from here, he said he needed some time alone"

John's fingers pinched Aeryn's waist, while he asked her with a low tone:

"Why did you tell him?"

Aeryn:"Well he might be right, think about it, if they are planning something, we are the ones that stopped the last war…"

Scorpius:"Some minor Sebacean colonies, and a few other races worship you as their Gods"

John and Aeryn at the same time:

"What? No frelling way"

D'Argo:"It's true. When Sikozu and Grunchlk saved me, we went on a planet where they prayed to us, me, you Aeryn, Chiana even Stark"

John:"Oh, that is just disturbing, who would pray to Stark?"

Scorpius: "Anyway my goal was to warn you. Now, you can acknowledge this potential danger, or ignore it either way, I'll be on my way"

His voice came to a complete stop, as he stood between them looking at him with suspicion, and the walls of the hanger.

John:"Ignore it"

Aeryn:"We'll keep an eye out on things"

D'Argo, Chiana and Sikozu looked at the settle movement of the long cape, parted in the middle as Scorpius started leaving.

John: "One more thing, why are you telling us this? Is it from the goodness of your heart or what? Oh, I know your spy buddies think you are paranoid?"

Scorpius slightly turned back his head, and with a tone of disappointment answered:

"Yes, nobody believes me, but that doesn't make me wrong, I rarely am."

John:"Do you take your medication regularly Scorpy Sue?"

Scorpius:"Mocking my instincts won't do anything…"

John:"Maybe, but it makes me feel better"

As the Hynerian vessel rumbled inside the hangar, Scorpius looked through the thick, Hynerian glass at all of them for one last time, smoothly touching his head with his right hand as means of saying goodbye. When the vessel left Moya, the crew got into a bitter atmosphere of an argue, as to what to do next.

Aeryn:"I think it's best if we found out something more about it, what do you suggest we do?"

D'Argo:"I say we look into it"

Chiana:"Are you farbot? It's the Triad we're talking about, and if they are planning something I'm not sticking around to find out."

John turned to Sikozu:

"Hey sputnik you decide, stick around yay or nay?"

Sikozu:" You are neglecting Moya and Pilot. I agree with D'Argo and Aeryn"

John:"Oh, sorry pilot, what do you and Moya say?"

Pilot:"We say go to Hyneria, trouble has a way of finding us anyway"

John:" 4:3 sorry baby, Pip, D fetch the all powerful and mystic Stykera and we are out of here"

The blatant attitude always cost John more than he bargained for, and this time this little human would learn the hard way that his old enemy's instincts were accurate. Moya begun the long travel ahead, to the green planet of the cold blooded toads as Chiana called the Hynerians.

They were totally unaware of the powerful, energy consuming woman sitting in the center of the Triad's command ship. It was a colossal vessel in the shape of an equilateral triangle, with two circles cutting it on the first and second third, providing an excellent gravity and propulsion systems. Its round edges contained Nebari visibility maneuvering points, providing the vessel the reflective surface possibility, its golden surface, covered with Lukythian hologram generators, giving it various chameleon options, and in its core the ship contained Plokavian star burst acceleration units, the reason many Leviathan vessels died.

Cyntrina was in the middle of it all, both literally and figuratively speaking. Meditating on an altar, between the black walls of her pyramid shaped chamber, wearing nothing but red silk in form of a cloak, surrounded by the aroma of incense, the dim light gently fell on the pale, strong body. The three green stars made of Nogelty crystal, implanted surgically - two on her palms, and one just below her sensual chest, made out a triangular shape, as her hands were resting on the knees of her crossed legs. Every time her spirit left her body during her astral quest for Earth, the crystals started glowing with increasing intensity. Slowly emerging out of the ship, a red cloud of smoke was delicately taking the form of a beautiful woman, smoothly floating in the vacuum, touched by the almost divine light of the stars that seemed impossible to reach.

Not to her, her powers could take her anywhere she wanted, supported from the focus the pyramid chamber gave her, and the aroma of incense reminding her of a childhood taken away, adding to her drive for revenge, her spirit was able to reach galaxies if she only wished it. She had another secret, her quest led her to the streams of the universe, connecting many worlds, dimensions at once. She begun diving in wormholes, her spirit reached one of these bridges and over the years, she mastered the ability of getting in them astrally, diving in the blue fabric of the universe, the way she dived in the ocean as a little girl. The experience left her fascinated as to how many species it touched, how many possibilities, entrances and exits into other dimensions, but she was always extremely careful, not to loot but to see through the one entrance she was looking for. A sight worthy for a thousand lifetimes, just looking at the way this blue string was waving out of the darkness brought delight to her eyes. When her spirit jumped in, the experience got even more breathtaking, she wasn't traveling, since she was weightless but everything inside the blue tunnel was static. It was as if she was looking at picture frames, millions upon millions of them tied together in a blue gloating, almost mystical string, like every corner of the universe was tied into one, giant ball of reel. Her spirit was in the very center, struggling to make sense of every single frame, but there were simply too many possibilities. In time, she learned that each picture represents a moment in time, and stopped dedicating energy to the ones that meant nothing to her. Painstakingly, over the last 10 years she pealed one by one, every frame she thought could lead her to Earth, passing over thousand frames in one meditating session until finally, the moment had come.

And this time, the search was over, through the blue walls of the tunnel an immense dose of fear peeked from one frame, a kind she hadn't tasted before. Her spirit, glowing red in the vast blue ocean of possibilities, focused on a red and gold, part robot part organic creature, she knew it had to be organic because of the intensity of its fear, carrying a bomb of some kind through one of the exits into another, into a ship surrounded by darkness, of some race she couldn't recognize. But one thing she did recognize, a sign she had only seen once – on Crichton's module; it was the same, rectangular sign with red and white stripes, and a blue square in the corner containing white stars. Realizing this was the end of her travel, her spirit used this instance of the opened portal, to take a glimpse of the planed at the end of it, to taste its mental leakage to get to know its astral trace.

It was a blue little planet, with no visible protection and what really ignited her hate even more, was the fact that it was reachable. She could get there for a dozen solar days with the new propulsion system the Plokavians had developed, using dark matter as power source. Seeing the portal close, and the creature with the iron shield fall through it while the fire from the bomb it threw consumed the ship, her strong intuition screamed in contempt, while her spirit floated in front of the frame, eyes reflecting the fire from the collapsing ship, and a slight spark of curiosity as to who this creature was.

_"I guess it's time to see what makes humans special, John"_

Turning to the exit of the wormhole in a twist, her astral self danced joyfully, all the way back through the wormhole to her body. She did it, as her eyes opened, seeing the dim light of her chamber, her tongue gently passed over the red, exotic lips and a whisper broke the silence between the narrow walls:

"Now, let's break the news to the Triad"

She lifted her barely clothed body off the pedestal, leaving only the cloak behind; her hair gently fell on the naked back when she reached for her conference gown, a long, red dress with golden edges, made out of the best silk and gold in the universe, tight around her waist, and two openings on the sides of her legs outlining every single inch of them. After putting it on, her proud voice echoed from her communication device, to every single room on the command center:

"It is time, I found it"

Just a few moments after the announcement, the Triad leaders' voices answered with a message to her, and their most loyal generals:

"Conference hall number 3, be there in 5 microts"

As the tall black doors from the room opened, her silhouette entered the conference hall, igniting the doubts of every single person in the room in her mind, even though everyone was quiet once they saw her. But she didn't let it show, her confident walk filled the hall with the sound of her heels. The long gown outlined her body in the most sensual way, making her desirable but dangerous at the same time. The ominous look in her eyes, red lips and long dark red hair made even the female generals turn their heads and stare. Her walk stopped in front of the leaders, sitting pompously on their thrones, she looked at all three of them with a scary grin on her face, spread her arms, and finally spoke breaking the tension:

"Ladies and Gentleman I have found Earth!"

The roaring crowd of generals almost shook the walls down, while the leaders looked at her with satisfaction and pride. The Nebari leader, Uralus sitting in the middle, was the one who appreciated this killing machine the most, with his legs crossed, and arms resting on the custom designed Nebari throne in shape of a silver triangle, a smile broke on the gray face while his deep, black eyes feasted on the sight of her. On his right side, a Plokavian monstrosity named Xeracs Lognata, with a face dripping on the floor before the Plokavian sphere throne, shrouded in darkness to hide her legions, her festering face came out in the light, showing the horrifying teeth in a contemptuous grin. The most skeptical of the three, was the Lukythian leader Eneck D'Naho, sitting stiff on a throne of spikes in some undistinguished form, cold triangular face with strange, wide nostrils almost the size of his eyes, and a helmet of leather, metal and glass that seemed like it held everything on his head together.

Cyntrina's body made a symbolic bow to the leaders, hearing their every thought; Uralus' pride in her, Xeracs' fear from her unpredictability, and Eneck's annoying skepticism. Few moments later, Xeracs' screeching voice made every single general quiet:

"Settle down, everybody quiet. Alright Cyntrina you found Earth, what now?"

Cyntrina, knowing exactly what everybody in the room wanted to hear spoke:

"Now, I will make you even more powerful by bringing you Crichton's head!"

The skeptic Enec, felt the need to express his opinion on the subject:

"Not to sound skeptical or doubtful, but the Peacekeepers and Scarrans were both after him, and look what it got them, once the most powerful races brought down on their knees by one simple, inferior human"

Cyntrina answered with a calm, but firm voice:

"Old man, I thought that was the reason you wanted him, every race in this side of the universe is laughing at the Scarrans and the Peacekeepers behind their backs, considering Crichton to be the most powerful being in their universe. Some even worship him as a God"

Xeracs once again unleashed a powerful, ear raping voice:

"Be that as it may, how do you intend to deliver not only him, but everyone else we want?"

Annoyed by their constant and useless bickering, Cyntrina's anger peeked through the calm surface:

"I am offering You the ultimate power, and you spit doubt in my face? Listen up leaders, dynasties, what will every single race think of you, once they see you enslaved or killed Crichton, Aeryn, Chiana, Stark and D'Argo? They will worship you as their Gods. You can wipe out both Scarrans, and Peacekeepers with nothing but a few little heads. All that I am asking, is trust and opportunity to prove my abilities once again"

Her voice bounced off the walls of the colossal hall, accompanied by the sharp noise of her heels as she walked around, turning to every single power greedy general, and igniting their desires.

The leaders talked quietly amongst each other, unaware that she could hear every single word they were saying, every thought in their minds, while the crowd of generals flooded her mind with questions. Even after 10 years as their acolyte, no one, not even their leaders knew the true extent of her power.

Cyntrina had become patient over the years, her quest to find Earth lasted much longer than she anticipated, but now, when the moment has come her rage was becoming restless, she could feel it building up with her temperature, her hands made a strong grip and lowering her head, she looked at the black glass fiber floor. She saw a powerful being, a white round face, whose cheekbones dominated in the reflection and a body of a goddess. She almost fell into the temptation to slaughter every single living soul on the carrier, but she knew she was walking on a thin line and needed the resources to get to Earth, so somehow her spirit found a way to rise above the anger, and calmly her head rose, making her hair caress the naked shoulders, while her smooth voice turned to the leaders:

"Can someone tell me why, we are stalling now, that we have a breakthrough?"

Enec answered turning his triangular face, smeared in arrogance:

"You have a breakthrough, not us. You never told us where Earth is"

Uralus' intervened on Cyntrina's side:

"Well we didn't even ask, and her brilliant success record speaks for itself"

Xeracs supported Enec, bringing her disgusting face to light, and asking Uralus:

"Why do you invest so much trust in a creature that we know is powerful, but don't know exactly how much power she possesses?"

Uralus, looking at the magnificent creature before him, gave a settle answer:

"And why do you not invest some trust in her, after all she has done for us?"

Enec, not daring to look at Cyntrina, since he could feel her sinister look that brought chills down his spine:

"You both have solid points. Uralus, consider this, what's stopping her from eliminating us after she captures Crichton and the others?"

Cyntrina's voice erupted, braking up the discussion the leaders had among themselves:

"You do know that I am right here, and can hear you right?"

Xeracs, slowly leaning over the Plokavian throne, pointed her finger at her saying:

"Young Sebacean, we realize you have done us proud many times, but each operation was performed on reachable planets, and charted space. Now, you are asking for us to let you leave to some destination we don't even know if it is possible to reach, with no means of surveillance of the operation"

Cyntrina slowly mounted the stairs leading to Xeracs' throne, leaving a red trail of silk behind, with her voice gradually gaining in intensity, and eyes spewing rage:

"You say surveillance but what I hear is control. Why do you want to control me now, after the ten glorious cycles of power I have given you? I made this allegiance possible, I brought you together, I made you!"

Uralus, seeing Xeracs shriveling into her throne as Cyntrina's fragrance was getting stronger in his nostrils, he lifted his gray arm and stopped Cyntrina's walk:

"Calm down Cyntrina, what Xeracs means, is the previous missions were not as personal for you as this one, you have told us you want to kill the notorious escaped prisoners, John, Aeryn, D'Argo and Stark, but the reason for your hate is still unknown to us"

Enec saw an opportunity to state his opinion concerning her powers:

"And you still haven't given us full account as to how, exactly your powers work, all we know is that once a day, you strangle a few prisoners with your mind and then feed on their essence, before you begin your astral leap and strip your spirit from your body"

Cyntrina's attention turned to the soggy old Lukythian, and her gracious legs peeking from under the dress moved in his direction:

"After ten years of, and I quote, because these were your words – "Just make it happen, no witnesses, no recordings" now, you want a full account of my powers? My powers are my business, and if you think I have hidden abilities that I can misuse against all of you, feel free to take measures against me"

Uralus, not taking his dark blue eyes off her body, addressed Enec's concerns:

"We already have such measures. With these…"

Xeracs and Enec turned their attention to the contents of the gray, smooth palm while Uralus continued, looking deep in Cyntrina's raging eyes

"Top of the line, mind cleansing nanotechnology, they are slightly modified, so they eject a neurotoxin that is specifically designed for your DNA, and will wipe off everything in your memory"

Xeracs pointed out what she thought to be a flaw in the Nebari design:

"And how will she ingest it before killing us?"

Enec continued the sentence, making Cyntrina's ears bleed with the arrogance in his voice:

"We are all very well aware that she can kill from a distance"

Confident, and comfortably stretching in his throne, looking at Cyntrina as she came close to him, and glared curiously in the silver beacons resting on his hand, Uralus continued:

"We will carry transmitters, directly connected to our vital bodily functions. Should anything happen to any of us, a signal will be sentm and the toxin will be released"

Xeracs finally came out of her throne, after the scare Cyntrina gave her and mumbled with unsatisfactory tone:

"Satisfying, but not very comforting"

She stood before Uralus still glaring at the beacons, the light above his throne radiantly outlined her figure, while she fought against the temptation to let a contemptuous smile peek on her face on the thought that came across her mind:

_"What you three old frelniks do not know, is that they don't contain my DNA but yours"_

She almost gave in, when Uralus interrupted her with his question:

"Now, tell us, what will you do once you place a foot on Earth?"

Her black hair made a sharp turn, while her back gradually came down the stairs, backing out of the thrones, with her chest full, and face glaring at the impatient generals she turned back to the leaders saying:

"I go to Earth, place my spirit telepathically in front of John Crichton using his DNA, summon him, and the others to come to Earth and as soon as their feet place a step on Earth, use the power of the crystals to bring this command center in the planet's atmosphere, thus invading it with Your troops"

Enec squinted his eyes, and disgusted her once again with his question:

"What makes you so sure you really found Crichton's home planet?"

Cyntrina:

"Can your majesty travel wormholes astrally? I don't think so, besides why do you doubt me now, when every single piece of information I have ever given you turned out to be accurate?"

Uralus, hearing the furious march of her heels caused by Enec's questions replied:

"Cyntrina, our questions do not come from a place of doubt, but this data is only real to you, we cannot verify any of it"

Her arms cut the air in front of her, gripping it between her fingers and yelling at the leaders:

"Than give me what I need, to go there and verify all you want!"

Again, Enec asked another stupid question, causing her face to once again look down in an effort to control her rage:

"What if we try to find the Leviathan one more time?"

Cyntrina, still not lifting her head from the reflective floor:

"That would be a waste of time, just as it was these last 10 cycles."

Enec tried to reply, but seeing her body coming at him fiercely, made his jaw drop while her screams filled the hall once again:

"Get it through your thick skulls John, Aeryn, Stark, D'Argo and Chiana travel on a living ship, a Leviathan as you already mentioned, and living ships are unpredictable. I know what I am talking about, when I say let them come to us, instead of us chasing them"

Realizing she won't back down, the leaders decided to give her the equipment, and let her go to this planet Earth to find the ones whose heads would bring them respect, glory and fame in the universe. The last word before they gave their final decision belonged to Xeracs, whose voice once again summoned silence in the hall full of generals:

"Alright Cyntrina we will let you go, but know this, loyalty is what got you this far, betrayal will only get you in the afterlife"

Cyntrina's contemptuous smile finally broke the fury on her beautiful, white face as the generals roaring and applauding wildly with their mindless, low desires for power and glory that fed both her vanity, and her spirit. Her red gown stood out in the lights of the monstrous hall, like a red butterfly over the black crowd of general uniforms, the only Sebacean between three races, distilling venom against the ruling Sebacean peacekeepers and the Scarran dynasty. But she was anything but a simple Sebacean, her hate made her unique, giving her powers beyond any leader's or general's imagination.

Once they made the decision, the leaders were overseeing the last preparations, while Cyntrina's naked body was resting in a tub full with frosted water, between the walls of her room where the only light, was the one from the torches surrounding the black, cold metal of the tub. The flames danced on her face, filling the darkness in her eyes with desire to see Earth burn down to the core. She was remembering the frame she saw in the wormhole, the taste of human emotion, the good ones brought disgust and weakness on her face, but the bad ones, the ones hidden in the core of every spoiled human soul, brought shivers to her spine invoking her appetite. But what really got stuck in her small, perky nose was human fear; it was so intense, so unusual and different, from any other race she had consumed before. With her curiosity peaking, she rose up, leaving only the water, that was now steaming from her drowning thoughts of anger and anticipation behind. The only flaw in her existence, she couldn't find a permanent way to get rid of the heat her anger generated in her Sebacean body, making it crave for the cold, a desire that made her vulnerable. Every time she entered the frosty water, her body gave in the tingly electric temptation, indulging with every atom of her existence, unleashing the heat her raging spirit stored for more than 300 years, leaving her skin smooth and moist, once every single ice molecule melted into oblivion.

Her long hair tumbled down the naked back, once she removed the golden barrette holding it up, embracing her reflection with its darkness. She loved her image in the mirror, that seemed to lust for her body when she was away from the corner where it stood in solitude. It was a body of a goddess, white impeccable skin that provoked desires and filthy thoughts in many hearts over the years, wide prolific, hips emphasizing her femininity together with the lush breasts adorning her chest. Round, pale face where the darkness of the eyes broke under the ember of her lips. Turning away, from the object that reminded her of the battle with time she won almost 300 hundred years ago, here nude silhouette stood in front of the closet, standing jealously next to the mirror, reflecting her dilemmas while she begun deciding what to use this time, when Earth's turn has finally come? Just looking at the clothes with which she destroyed nations, planets, races brought spark in her eyes, she wanted something special, something she never used before.

She found it, a dress timidly hiding behind the void of hue and grayness in the walking closet, tickling her eyes with its blood red color, part silk part Plokavian synthetic. The synthetic part, was a tight butterfly corset split open in the middle, leaving just enough space for the eight end star crystal to fit in, three rows of Plokavian jewels in green, yellow and black color, each containing different intensity of Novatrin gas around the oval brassiere griping her breasts. Painful to wear, since the synthetic contained splinters around the edges, piercing the flesh and clinging to it, in order to use her body as a power source for the seismic disruptors in the red, wrinkled Budong leather of the half gloves on her arms, leaving only the long dark hair to cover her back. A more pleasant part was the silk, dangling gloriously from the breathtaking trap on her chest, slit in two places, showing two stunning legs mingle between the silk. Even the straps, from her knee high sandals were lined with tiny steal blades in form of stars.

Once she put everything on, she stood one last time in front of the mirror. The sight was desperately wonderful, a woman wearing the color of human blood, caressing her reflection with a vengeance thirsty look in her eyes and a wide grip of contempt on the lips.

She couldn't take her eyes off the corset, not only because of its beauty but because it was also a merit for her focus, amplifying and directing her power, in the green shimmering Nogelty crystal on her chest.

Her eyes stranded upon the tall half gloves covering her arms, that also had sockets for the crystals residing in her palms. A gift from the Plokavian leader, part Budong leather part seismic disruptor fibers, with a direct link to the corset, draining her power and making the crystals capable of braking planets in half.

The nogelty crystals were a gift from the Nebari leader; he picked the material personally, and supervised their surgical implant. There was another special thing they did, she no longer needed any guns, two green whips came out of the smaller crystals on her hands, dissolving even the strongest metals, and when she faced her hands, a neon green rope formed, capable of beheading anyone in between. The leather protected her palms from being damaged when she held the hot, green infernal saw, that changed in intensity according to her emotion.

The last thing she put on her body, was a Lukythian ruby necklace gloriously claiming the thin pale neck, containing micro hologram generators. If somehow, by miracle she was captured and needed a clean escape, she would leave one ruby behind, playing a recording of her movements, fooling the enemy while her body melted in her spirit with help of the crystals, and took her out of the cell.

She was a perfect weapon, beautiful but lethal, enraged but still patient, just waiting for the moment she would be staring down on Earth. The silk from her dress gently flaunted behind her delicate legs, while she approached Uralus, Xeracs and Enec in the docking bay, dispersing the crowd of generals that were there to salute her, before she took the voyage to Earth. The utter boredom escalated to absolute amazement, once they saw this creature walking down the runway, cutting the air with her presence, leaving only a scent of vengeance. She could hear the Nebari carving for her; the Plokavian fantasies for the power she could bring, even the Lukythian fear of failure, they all brought a subtle smile on her face, once she stood in front of the leaders. Behind them, an engineering miracle – the vessel that was going to take her to Earth, she didn't need to hear them, but not knowing she could hear his thoughts Uralus explained:

"This is the vessel with which you will travel to Earth, it looks like a baby Leviathan because of the shape, and the skin but it's actually designed for extended ultra star burst, and can travel 300 times faster than light"

Enec continued with the demonstration, opening the vessel's entrance point:

"Once you enter starburst, you may find it difficult to keep track of time but don't worry, this will not affect you, as long as you are inside the vessel when you exit starburst. Think of it as a time capsule, shielded by a center halo where time ceases to exit, thus giving you, and your special abilities the option to choose when and where to land"

Xeracs finished the demonstration the usual, screeching worn out voice:

"Just make sure you exit starburst, right before you enter the planet's gravitational pull, because if you don't the vessel will malfunction and you will crash land"

Cyntrina's eyes sunk into the tear shaped vehicle with wrinkled bronze skin, so elegantly designed, she always wanted to board a Leviathan, one in particular – Moya. And now, seeing this metal assembled as one, reminded her of the onetime her spirit stepped on Moya's rough floor. She could still feel the scent of exhaust fuel from the transport pods, the peacekeeper prowler and the human's module, on which she saw the same sign that gave her what she wanted – Earth's astral trail.

Without further adieu, snapping out of the memories this vessel brought her, she entered inside, and to her surprise, the interior didn't have any resemblance to a leviathan, the dark walls were consuming the dim light, making the control board stand out, just like she asked for it to be, and no outer light was permitted by the leviathan skin allowing her spirit search with no distractions.

Uralus' words interrupted her gaze:

"You should know, the time solution was no easy task, we have lost many men in the one you told us about."

She replied with her arm strapping the seat belt on her sensual chest, looking at him with a seductive smile:

"You have once again, surpassed my expectations"

When the vessel was primed for takeoff, the leaders gave her their last salutations:

Xeracs: "Remember to exit starburst once you reach the planet's gravity pull"

Enec:" Notify us upon you arrival"

Uralus: "Good fortune, and good hunting"

The vessel's side door closed, and upon taking the last glimpse of her, Enec's thoughts caught her attention, making her palm almost pull the steering off while she was lifting the ship off the ground:

_"You won't survive this trip, I made sure of that. But you will, find Earth and the beacon I've put under the control board will give me its location"_

Her palms resided on the smooth surface of the silicon steering, she gripped it even harder, lifting her eyebrow and holding disdain for the mischievous old Lukythian she thought:

_"I am not that easy to kill you worn out coward."_

The vehicle exited the command center, so she started the sequence for starburst under the looking eyes of all the leaders, generals, engineers:

"Starting starburst sequence in 3… 2…1…"

The tail of the small, leviathan looking vessel made a light blue spark, igniting the skin and forming a blue wave of light that, as soon as it got to the front, it swallowed the small ship, making it disappear leaving nothing but a minuscule blue tail of light behind.

Cyntrina took advantage of the small interval of time, before the bubble reached the front, to part her spirit from her body in order to feel Earth's metal leakage, and know where to go. She sat on top of the ship clawing, it with the energy from the Nogelty crystals on her palms, and her voice morphed under the pressure of dark matter pulling the vessel forward:

"Now this is going to be a bumpy rideeeeeee"

The experience was surprisingly calm, to her it seemed like everything slowed down, and she almost got carried away by the way darkness swallowed everything in her sight, reminding her of the way her soul got shrouded in darkness over the years, slowly, delicately until finally, there was nothing left to turn. But she didn't need her eyes to feel Earth's trail, her spirit felt it as a red trail of thread, extending before her astral sight. She was finally closing in on her pray, and nothing, not even the difficulty of holding on to the vessel, raging throughout the universe breaking the speed of light, would stop her. Her vengeance was just beginning to unravel.


	4. Landing

The sun was once again caressing the Earth, giving it life through light. Its surface from space seemed so peaceful, so beautiful serenity so divine it almost seemed no human ever lived there. No one could ever imagine the war one individual was waging against this beauty, and because of what? Because of one single human this planet had mothered – John Crichton. His enemy was coming to enslave this beauty and all her children she had given birth to, innocent and ignorant all she ever was.

No one knew what was about to crash land into this beauty as the sun was setting in New York State near Lake Ontario. Fall just begun nibbling the leaves carrying its scent across the state, and with it the wishful and adventurous hearts of the ones in love with the nights spent before a camp fire.

The hearts of three couples, in love with nature on the wedge of the beginnings of their lives. One of them a photographer whose passion was just beginning to flourish among every frame of his life. His girlfriend was one of his favorite frames as he watched her curly blond hair bounce off her shoulders while they were nearing the secluded beach near the lake, she was beautiful under the sunset, many times he wandered why she decided to study sociology when she could be a model? The other one was a bit grounded – a medicine student, logic lover with strange sense of humor and small next to none appreciation of art. His girlfriend, also a med student but with a warm heart, always in the mood to be helpful even if that meant just as a good listener and unlike the cold eye of her boyfriend her eyes melted before beauty. Their last friend was a comedian wannabe, and one could tell with his extravagant and almost ridiculous pants in more than five colors, a shirt that in some states could get him beaten up, a leather coat and shoes or trainers that made even less sense. His girl was in love with the extraordinary, well she had one of those boyfriends but still she studied psychology so her explorative spirit was more from a scientific point of view.

They all had one thing in common though, a friend that was killed in an accident the day Loki waged war on Earth. This trip to the lake was to honor his memory and all the times they sat together around the campfire looking at the stars, wandering are we alone? He always found a way of proving his point and leaving everyone, even the med student's cold logic amazed and confused. His death hurt all of them profoundly and they wanted to honor the last whish on his dying bed for one last night under the stars. He never made it, the concrete rubble from when one of the alien ships crashed into the building he was in, crushed his fragile human bones.

When they finally settled in front of the campfire, its flames danced on their faces and with melancholy calming their hearts they begun remembering all the times their friend was there, teasing them, comforting them advising them.

"I can't believe he's gone"

The sociology student whispered as she was staring at the flames. For more than few moments the only thing they could sense was the burning of the fire its shooting sparks, the smell of burning wood as the light that gracefully lit up their tears. They were all remembering the good times, his passion, and his dreams. One of those, well both passion and dream were the stars,

"The ones that'll never fail you, every night look up and they are always there"

His favorite obsession glowing so far away, so distant yet somehow this night they seemed to be so close. They were always a reminder of the astronomer to be but this night around the campfire, listening to the lake graciously swaying its waves, feeling the gentle flames touching their skin and warming the sand beneath them felt like something important was going to happen, something their friend wanted to whisper from beyond the world of the living. The med student finally decided to break the silence shrouded around them:

"Hey guys remember when he said his uncle was an astronaut but nobody believed him?"

His eyes squinted and a vague smile broke the melancholy on his face once he looked at the comedian

"Yeah,"

The comedian answered a with regret full voice putting his hands over his knees as if he was comforting himself for mocking his now deceased friend

"Turns out he wasn't lying, I asked his older sister because we all know him and his trolls, he did have an uncle astronaut" his hollow eyes stared at the fire

Their eyebrows rose up in amazement once this revelation sunk in their minds. The med student shook his head in disbelief while his voice leaped destroying the quiet atmosphere

"What? What happened to him?"

"Nobody knows for sure, but the government packed it neatly saying he crashed his Farscape 1 module in the dessert in Australia 10 years ago. Now I have an Australian friend that happens to be a photographer too and has some connections. I asked him to do some digging through the archives"

Light dramatically claimed his face once the flames finally swallowed the dry log he put in the fire earlier. The log's fall in the ashes turned their attention away for a short moment but that didn't stop the sociology student from asking the question on everybody's mind as she leaned over to her boyfriend:

"And? What did he find?"

He pulled his right leg from under his body, putting it besides him while his hands moved through the air once started explaining:

"Get this"

The group looked at their friend with their eyes wide open awaiting for his next word to come out.

"There was an article on two friends – scientists, one of which was an astronaut trying to prove their theory, something about using Earth's gravity as natural means of acceleration the day before they did it."

He grabbed a cold bear from the portable freezer his girlfriend carried everywhere they went. The mere sound of the beer bottle's cap flying from its top made the other two guys throats crave one too. They listened carefully to the story consuming their beverage and not taking their eyes of the dramatic photographer.

"The next day, they published another article saying he was gone without a trace after successfully reaching maximum velocity, meaning their theory was true but something was obviously unaccounted for. A few days later they published another article calming the module crash landed in Australia causing a huge fire."

The skepticism in the med student's voice annoyed both the comedian and the photographer with his rude interruption:

"What's so weird about that?"

Not wanting to gloat but still with a dose of pleasure in his tone the photographer replied:

"The next day when the authorities went to retrieve the rubble from the module and its pilot, it turned out the fire was caused by a lightning strike in the dessert. That was the last they wrote on Farscape 1. Benjamin's uncle was the pilot; I think John was his name, John Crichton"

They all looked at him, craving for more information; questions tormented their young minds but yet somehow knowing this brought them inner peace. This notion brought a feeling of some kind of closure to their friend's constant obsession, now they understood him better. Bitter thoughts of gut wrenching regret took over their hearts for not listening while he was still alive. The one person who knew more about grief and its relationship with hope was the psychology student. In an attempt to distract her friends she spoke as she looked in the sky:

"You guys, do you think he looked at the stars so much because of his uncle?"

Her voice pulled them back from the regrets echoing in their minds into the chilly reality of the early fall along the lake. They all looked up at the clear sky curled up next to the fire, thinking of an answer to her question. Answer meant to be given by an artist, so the photographer whispered:

"He was waiting for him. I hope he found his answers"

His words dropped deeper than any elegy in their hears, and once again their efforts to contain their tears were utterly useless. As their hearts drowned in sorrow, they noticed something in the sky. A light, wiggling around making strange twists and turns as it seemed to be falling. At first they thought it was a plane but the changes in its movements and its colors convinced them otherwise. It changed from white into red and into blue, and to their surprise it seemed to be moving closer and closer to them. It came so close; they could actually make out its shape – it looked kind of like a raindrop the way its tail caught fire from the air friction jus meters from the ground. Its round front seemed like it was going to fall apart from the pressure at any moment.

It was her; Earth's most powerful enemy was descending in flames from the sky. Once her spirit saw the end of the red thread marking the path of Earth's mental leakage it immediately reunited with her body, whacking the red button with her left arm violently in order to exit starburst, but it was too late. She had entered the planet's gravity pull and now the ship was a steal trap just waiting to crash and burn.

Any other normal individual would be desperately trying to find some way to soften their fall, a failsafe that would keep them alive while fear consumed them with the speed of their fall. But not Cyntrina, she already knew her ship had malfunctioned the moment she exited starburst speed in order to enter Earth's atmosphere and now, pulled by the planet's gravity it was crashing. She hadn't consumed a single soul for more than 20 solar days and her body was beginning to spiral out of control just like her one seat long distance travel vessel. Since she stopped feeling anything but rage a long time ago, being trapped in a seat on a tiny part Leviathan, part Plokavian vessel made her rage turn into furry extremely fast. Her temperature rose so high it turned the exhaust color flaming red, and almost set fire to the interior as well, since the tail of the vehicle was already on fire. She could feel death in every cell of her seemingly frail, slim body. Her face locked in wrath and totally distorted glared into this planet that could have been the last thing she saw.

"I AM NOT GOING TO DIE"

The rumble of her voice shook the walls of the vessel making it spin pointlessly as it was being pulled more and more toward the planet. She almost came to her dispersing point when a thought pulled her back, the memory of her mother dying from a Venek arrow and falling back on her screaming one name – John Crichton. Even after so many cycles she could still feel the warmth of her mother's blood dripping on her face. She placed her burning hand on the face mired in fury and heat. A drop touch of hate saved her life once again, hate for Crichton, for his race, for this planet.

She focused on this black, filthy state of her soul and once again glared at Earth, her new meal. Now her temperature was lowering and her facial expression changed, eyes widened ravenously while she grinded a horrifying smile at the thought that down there, the place that Crichton called home was soon going to be hers for the taking. The last control consoles that somehow survived the heat now froze under her body that was cooling just as fast as it previously heated. Cold was good, she could survive in the cold, it balanced the vessel's outer and inner temperature turning the exhaust blue. This only prevented an explosion before she reached the planet so focusing for one last time, using the last remaining power she stored in the green, flickering crystals on her chest and palms she targeted the now useless vessel at the approximate region where Crichton was born, just as her eyes closed, her translucent enraged spirit emerged in front of the cage of a ship, griping it, clawing to it but her attempts to slow it down were utterly useless.

The seconds before the ship finally sunk into the soil seemed like eternity for her spirit glued on its front, shapes of land and water coming out gradually making the suspense even harder until finally a few meters from the ground, she unleashed the last power from the crystals graciously aligning her arms with the star under her chest, omitting a green web in form of a circle wave, causing her dress to unveil the two long, beautiful legs and her hair splash forward on its surface, a red demon in a vast green wave of mist. She only had to wish for time to bend on her command thus softening the ships blow on the solid ground, leaving a green cloud of mist behind and allowing her to enter once again in her body even though the force with which the metal hit the planet's surface still rendered her unconscious.

The group of students watched the whole thing with their eyes glued to the strange object, until a noise accompanied by a green wave of fluorescent light marked its crash. Strangely, the rumble the crash omitted to their ears was between a thunder – loud at the start but with a quick, almost flickering end like a laser. The fall of the threes braking, branches braking, trunks thumping on the ground also came through to the secluded beach where their bodies sat motionless until everything finally died down. Looks of disbelief and denial roamed around the fire amongst the group of six friends until a voice soaked in bewilderment came out of the comedian's mouth breaking the sound of everyone's raising heart in their ears:

"We have to check that out!"

The sociology student's reaction to the whole thing was in tune with her excellent instinct:

"No way, I am not going there"

Another curious voice surfaced from the top of the photographer's lungs:

"Are you kidding me? This I have to see!"

The three girls sat startled next to the fire mumbling while they watched their boyfriends slowly vanishing from their sight into the darkness of the woods.

"What the hell just happened, what was that?" a cry from the future doctor flew through the air in front of the fire

"I have no idea, and I don't want to know" squeezing her bent legs with her arms the psychology student answered with almost desperate tone in her voice

"Girls, we can't just sit here while the guys could be facing some space monster or something, we have to go too" the social spirit of the sociology student finally defeated the state of shock they were all in.

The guys were facing another shock once they passed the first rows of trees and entered deeper in the now calm woods, with only their flash lights to guide them through the creepy shadows of the night. A huge cloud of green shimmering mist oozed before their eyes once they penetrated deep enough, with their heats racing and air refusing to rest in their lungs the voice of the psychology student from behind almost knocked them out flat on the slippery ground:

"Guys, wait up… what the …"

She stopped once her eyes witnessed the strange fluorescent green mist

"Are you girls crazy? You almost gave us a heart attack, stop creeping around like that" with his hand on the ridiculous shirt over his chest the comedian fought to take a breath

"Yeah, you're welcome. Oh and thanks for leaving us worried sick and alone by the way" the feisty future doctor replied vigorously

"OK, sorry for that but you have to admit this is freaking incredible" her boyfriend replied pointing his shuddering finger at the crash site

"Guys, I really don't like this let's go home and call someone" glued to the ground with her feet, reaching annoyingly for the photographer's hand the sociology student shriveled

"Oh, come on baby just a few shots and we'll go."

"Besides, if we call the police or any government organization this will go straight under the rug of balloons and test flights gone wrong" the comedian couldn't resist the temptation and the noise of crunching leafs under his feet pulled the group of friends as a chain behind him, the photographer and future doctor behind him and the three girls following the trail in the mist they left behind holding tight to each other's arms

"Guys, wait you don't know that's in there!" futile noises gushing with fear didn't stop the curiosity of the three guys rapidly closing in on the vessel.

Once they reached the center of the mist shrouding the woods, their eyes feasted on the sight of an unknown half buried craft between the trunks of a few broken trees it took down with its fall. The light from their flash lights went right through the thin layer of the mist flowing out of the vessel; they could feel a strange scent of incense filling their nostrils while they stood only meters away, gazing at the bronze that seemed to have wrinkles in form of veins once their flash lights pierced the green cloud revealing the crude surface of the tear shaped vessel.

"Is it just me, or does this thing have a circulatory system?"

"What system? Men speak English for the ones here who don't want anything with medicine"

"Guys I think this is some kind of metal, the wrinkles seem to any make sense"

Their voices mingled through the mist while their silhouettes got lost in the mist and came just centimeters form the ship.

"What are you guys doing? Don't stand that close to it for all we know this this entire fume may be toxic and we have been inhaling it for almost half an hour"

The girls finally caught up, frantically scolding their adventurous behavior

"Check out the drama queen, guys please just lay off the medical terms"

The comedian's voice compensated for the silence of his friends, one circling around the part of the vessel that was sticking out of the ground with his phone and enthusiasm, and the other snapping photos from the way the mist parted from the movement.

"Baby, I think you made enough pictures come on, let's go"

"Hey did somebody tape this?"

The comedian made yet another comment with his finger sensing the cold, brute metal

"Yeah, I got it all on camera"

The med student finally broke his silence while his eyes kept staring almost lustfully at the touch screen of his phone

"Honey, we are leaving so if you know what's good for you put down that camera and come with us right now" the future sociologist was at the end of her patience, standing together with the two other girls, away from the vessel with their bodies shaking in fear and impatience curling the eye brows on their faces.

"Ok, ok fine, I don't like this either. Sorry guys, we'll wait for you on the beach"

The camera kept recording, until the four shadows of their friends vanished leaving gentle ripples in the mist from their movements. The two friends that stayed behind continued their poking and peeking up, down and around the ship still trying to wrap their heads around the mere sight of it. But they had no idea what came next, what beast was opening her eyes inside. Starving and enraged, Cyntrina opened the dark eyes and the realization she was still alive took over her mind for a second, but the fact she was now trapped inside this piece of rubble whacked her over the head once she got out from the seat ripping out the safety belt her body struggled against the door, she didn't even have the power to leave her body, the only thing that could help her feed was her telepathy. And she didn't have to go far to feed, her pray was just outside her ship. She could hear their words and their thoughts, but what interested her most was their fear, that she could smell its moist, chilly scent and even feel it as a cold jolt over her skin that was once again rapidly burning up. With her last attempts to stay alive, her body crushed back on the seat while her telepathic spark played out some tricks using her state of desperate hunger deprivation that ignited a vast pool of fear in her pray.

"Did you hear that?"

One of the boys asked putting down his cell phone.

"No, what?"

His friend could feel the touch screen of his phone sliding down his fingers as cold sweat begun running down his body.

"That…"

"Men, you are being ridiculous I have no idea what…"

A lump got in his throat once he heard it too. It was coming from inside what seemed to be a ship, at first it was a lower, deep kind of machine like noise but then it morphed into a growling and howling only to end up into a hard breathing sound. Their hearts started beating faster with each breath they took, she could feel it, she could hear their thoughts as they were drifting away from reality consumed in fear. She could see their cold sweat as the moon light fell on their faces

"Dude, I, I think we should get out of here…"

Not being able to take the suspense he barely managed to murmur with his heart raising

"Wait, it stopped" his friends' words offered little comfort

"God, I think I almost had a heart attack"

They took deep breath and begun returning to reality once they felt the cold breeze on their cheeks cooling them off since they felt like they were burning.

"Ok dude we are out of here"

Their feet seemed to be barely touching the ground

"Wooow, got to love adrenalin bro"

The med student joked with his friend

"You are one crazy med student, you know that?" The comedian continued

"What can I say it's a professional hazard?"

The sound of crunching leaves seemed like music to their ears once they realized just how heightened their senses were, slowly their breathing and heart rate were settling down with each step they took away from the scene, not even noticing the mist around them had vanished. But it wasn't over, Cyntrina's hunger was insatiably building up, her cold heart was pounding faster just from the taste of human fear. It was truly extraordinary how humans experienced fear, no species she had ever consumed provided that intensity and quality at the same time it was always incomplete either they died to quickly or too slowly. She found someone whose death she could actually control and play with, they got scared easily but also settled down easily. She couldn't take it anymore her cravings made her scream from the top of her lungs, a scream so loud and blood curling her throat felt like someone was ripping it off of her thin, pale neck.

Almost five meters away from her ship the boys' fragile illusion of safety froze with all the blood in their bodies once they heard it. A scream, first it seemed female but it had the brute intensity of a bear roaring to defend her cubs.

"Please tell me that was a bear"

The med student asked his friend, not daring to turn back as his friend did in an instance

"It's not a bear… it's coming from inside … something's in there…"

The comedian answered trying not to collapse in fear on the wet soil. It seemed as everything stopped and the only thing he could hear was his heartbeat pounding in his head.

Her eyes were closed as her voice was uncontrollably gushing out of her body; she could feel the hunger taking over her, every inch of her body felt like a thousand nails being hammered all at the same time. The nonstop travel with no food was taking its toll, her scream stopped but her eyes were now blood red. She griped her palms as the pain was getting too strong to bear and zeroed in on her pray's fear.

The med student slowly turned his head and saw his friend's body clamped on the ground. His hands were on his neck trying to break free from some invisible enemy.

"What's wrong dude? What's happening?"

Frantically, the med student screamed as he knelled in front of his friend.

"What do I do? What's wrong with him? God is someone strangling him? Oh God! Oh my God!"

His thoughts spiraled out of control. His friend's body squirmed in the leaves under some pressure they couldn't see.

"I got to get him out of here"

Was the only thought going through his mind as he tried to catch his friend's legs that were now shaking uncontrollably. He touched his leg but couldn't hold on, his friend was burning up! He didn't give up that easily, took his coat of his back and tried to grab his friend again. This time he held on to his legs and pulled with everything he had, he strained, howled, not noticing his friends legs stopped moving. He didn't feel any pain in his arms the only thing he cared about was getting his friend out of there. But it seemed impossible, even though he felt his heart was going to come out of his chest from all the effort he put into getting him out of there. His world came crushing down when he no longer felt his friend's skinny legs kicking him in his back.

As he lifted his head up, the fact he hadn't moved one meter made him feel like acid was being poured inside his abdomen and the mere thought of turning around made it even worse. Somehow, thinking of his friend and how much his family loved him and wanting to be able to look at all of them in the eyes and tell them he did everything he could to save him, he convinced himself to turn around.

"Ok, pull yourself together man, he needs your help. Don't be a coward, you are gonna become a doctor someday, and you can't examine patients with your eyes closed"

His thoughts brought him a little peace as he was begging his eyes to open. He noticed everything was quiet, no funny noises, no kicking anything, just the leaves under his feet as he was turning to his check on his friend. He turned to his friend and opened his eyes. Seeing his friend lying on the ground in a pool of blood, his head almost ripped from his body his neck squeezed so tight it broke his trachea made him scream

"OOOOOO GOOOD O MY GOOOOD HE'S DEAD! OOOO GOOOD BLOOD"

He jumped back desperately grabbing the soil under him in an attempt to get away, his legs didn't seem to respond, and he tried standing up but kept falling down

"OOOOO GOOOD I … OOO I HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE!"

His screams aroused Cyntrina even more now she killed one of them she wanted more. The hunger in her soul needed more, her body was deprived by hunger, and now her pray was waiting for her to harvest it as it ripened from one second to another. She gave in to the hunger once again, clamping her palms and taking one more life. This one was even better than the other one, fear at its finest mixed with terror from what was to come; she could see him even though she was killing him telepathically, strangling and squeezing his throat with his own emotions. He was quivering, turning and crippling, in the moist soil his grabbing hands seemed to be digging his own grave, at the climax of her feast her pleasure matched the intensity of his fear making her roar in ecstasy. She got a glimpse of his last thoughts as life was abandoning his body; the boy's last emotion was pain. Pain he would never see his mother again, his family, his friends, his girlfriend … he will never become the doctor he always wanted to be.

When it was all over, fed and over fed on human emotion her body gave up and she passed out on the seat she distorted during her feast. Only a vague red light left to flicker over her pulsing body slipping into a deep slumber.

Director of S.H.I.E.L.D Nick Fury covered his mouth with the crude palm, trying to hide his lack of understanding while he was reviewing the footage taken with the phone of the dead medicine student. Agents Natasha Romanov, Clint Barton and Phil Coulson stood right behind his stale body, watching the footage climax from subtle movement of shadows in the mist to frantic screaming once the phone hit the ground ending with quiet chokes and convulsions. They could hear the last breath the boy took, the last movement of his twitching fingers through the leafs brought an acidic blow in their abdomen. When the footage ended, the long, leather coat swung back as his lack of expression faced the three agents.

"What you just saw, was an incident recorded last night, near Lake Ontario in the state of New York. When our agents visited the site they found the dead bodies of two boys in their 20's laying dead in a pool of their own blood around the necks and no visible evidence of who might have done it"

Agent Coulson continued the briefing, pulling up pictures of the vessel they found about a meter from the site:

"This is the only thing we found next to their bodies, it's made of some kind of metal unknown to us"

Agent Barton interrupted Coulson, crossing his rugged arms his voice gave out the confusion smeared on his forehead:

"What does that have to do with us? We were pulled from our missions just because some UFO landed on a murder site?"

Agent Coulson continued with a cold, firm tone:

"Our scanners indicate organic matter inside the vessel"

Agent Romanov's brow rose in confusion:

"So you need us to go there and find out if there is a potential threat inside?"

Director Furry satisfied their curiosity:

"We established contact with Tony Stark to give us some intelligence on the ship and we need our best agents with him, we don't know what we are facing"

Acknowledging his words, the agents nodded their heads and left the director standing together with agent Coulson between the glass windows of the hall.

"Sir, are you going with them?" with hint of doubt in his voice, Coulson asked the stiff Fury whose mind was still going through the last noises from the video

"Yes, I am. Contact Tony Stark and tell him to meet us there."

After chaos swallowed his home in Malibu, California Tony Stark was back in his building in New York, enjoying a morning in bed with Miss Potts, staring at the city that left a deep scar in his psyche from the last time he was there, caressing her long golden hair leaning on his hand while her gentle voice whispered:

"See, we are in New York and you are not freaking out"

"I know, right it seems almost normal"

"What do you mean almost?"

"Well, the last time we were here the city was kind of being invaded by ugly aliens from another end of the universe"

"Oh, and that's totally what messed you up"

"That and the nuke through the wormhole"

"Honey, we talked about this it wasn't your fault someone invaded Earth"

Miss Potts' face turned to his absent eyes and brought him back from his memories into reality with a soft stroke of her hand on his face. His look turned down on the smile radiating on her face, brightening his thoughts his voice continued

"It's not just that, the whole thing was like a setting, like someone was watching"

"Well you were probably the last thing they saw, I don't know?"

"No, not them someone else. You know a feeling like someone was pulling me by my state of mind…"

"You mean by your fear?"

"State of mind, not fear"

"Ok tough guy state of mind, now how about we get up and grab a coffee before I go to work"

"It's eight already? Oh, come on it's Saturday, don't go to work"

Their wrangling on the bed spreading almost through the entire room was interrupted by Stark's phone, rudely bouncing off the glass walls. It was agent Coulson, stubbornly ringing while Tony's fingers continued flaunting around the answer or deny option on the touch screen of his phone.

"Answer it, it could be important"

"Why would they need me, I blew up all my suits what could they possibly need me for?"

"Yeah, all the suits. I might be blond but I'm not dumb or blind, or did you really think I won't notice you slipping out of bed in the middle of the night for the last two weeks?"

Her voice reflected a mild frustration while her teeth came out in a big smile, causing Tony to look at the ceiling with his hands crossed behind his head, making his pillow puff under him, his face tried to hide the surprise but the tone of his voice gave him up

"I have no idea what you are talking about"

"Honey, I understand the suit is a part of you even without the shrapnel threatening to give you a heart attack"

Straightening his upper body, his eyes sparked in admiration and not even noticing his phone fell off the bed or that he totally gave himself out he shouted

"You understand, really?"

Once the realization of what he said sunk in his mind, seeing her brown eyes looking at him with slight annoyance, he begun stuttering

"I mean, if I was building another suit… not that I am … but if I were… to build another…"

She lifted her body together with the white blanket off the bed, with her back turned to his guilty looking face a smile broke the seriousness on her expression once her hair made a slight move to the side of her back:

"Answer the phone, but don't take too long I'll wait for you in the shower"

His jaw dropped as he watched Miss Pots disappear behind the door, and it took him a while to find the constantly ringing phone under the bed.

"Yes, agent Coulson what is so important this early in the morning?"

"Good to hear you too sir, we have a situation that requires your skills"

"And by skills you mean?"

"Your expertise in mechanics"

"Oh, that. Can I say no?"

"I advise you otherwise, this situation is of extreme importance"

"Any specifics, as to what this all is about?"

"I took the liberty of e mailing you the coordinates where I and Director Fury will be expecting you"

"Fine, don't tell me anything I might just not come"

The lack of information annoyed him so he hung up; throwing his phone behind his back he stared once again at the city that changed him. He couldn't help but to remember the feeling he had while his suit carried the nuclear bomb on the back. The anxiety that was building up from his toes up to his head got interrupted by Miss Potts' soft voice bouncing from the glass shower cabin

"I'm still waiting"

Stark's mind snapped out of the raising feeling his memories awakened and he rushed to the bathroom almost tripping over the blanket he wrapped around his waist just as he opened the door where the woman he loved was waiting for him.

Director Fury and agent Coulson still had trouble believing their eyes once they saw the half buried vessel sticking with its side out of the ground.

"How is that even possible? Where did it come from? Who's in there?"

Were some of the questions tormenting Fury's mind while he watched his agents taking some measurements of it, scanning the interior and the exterior underneath the autumn murky sky. Just as the wind brought a scent of tranquility from the lake, their attention turned to a feeling rising from their abdomen, a vibration caused by the noise of the nearing helicopter where a familiar face peeked out the open door, curious eyes looking through the tinted glass from his glasses. Once the wild fins from the helicopter stopped moving and the strong wind they caused died down, the ingenious engineer approached the two men with the style and attitude characteristic for his personality. A hint of disappointment on Coulson's face as he reached for 10 bucks from his wallet and then passed them to the director.

His walk stopped right next to Director Fury, where the answer as to why he was called hit him over the head up close and personal. He saw a craft from the chopper but the bronze, wrinkled metal sticking out of the ground behind the two men now caused his eyes to wander away from their faces and feast on the sight of this engineering miracle. His ears barely intercepted the sound of Fury's voice and as soon as he saluted agent Coulson and the director, his legs took a life of their own carrying him down the slippery soil from the small hill before the vessel. Just as his arm touched the rough surface a feeling of restlessness rattled through his abdomen, causing wrinkles of confusion on his face while his posture changed from one of amazement to disbelief.

"This is not right, it's too thin… and the shape has inconsistencies…"

"Stark, would you care to elaborate?" Fury watched his wild movements and thoughts coincide in his mind but in reality nothing he said made sense.

"Right, English got it. This shouldn't fly, its rough wrinkled surface creates many inconsistencies and irregularities with, well every know law of physics. I have no idea what so ever what makes it tick, I'll have to take look inside if you want to know more"

Stark's palms tumbled against his body, following the guest of ignorance from his shoulders.

"I was hoping you would have a different answer" Fury's voice broke out with dissatisfaction from Tony's answer

"What, you won't be digging it up?" Stark's face backed up just a little as one of his eyebrows rose up curiously

"Well, scanning results show organic material inside"

"Organic?!" his feet slowly backed away from the vessel, until the voice coming from the vessel broke the silent morning before the Lake, causing a gut wrenching fright in everyone next to it

"Crichtoooooooooooon, Chricthooooooooooon"

The voice continued confusing the ones standing before the strange metal object until Tony broke their silent wandering:

"Is someone in there calling for Triton? Fury, gods visiting Earth – your jurisdiction not mine" Tony's breath was catching on with his voice while he hurried up the wet soil to where the two men were standing

"Stark, I don't think this is the time to be joking" Director Fury's thoughts immediately flew to agent Romanov and agent Barton who were around the parameter

"Stay close, something's happening"

Cyntrina continued screaming with a voice of a wild beast the last name on her mother's lips, her obsession, the reason she was here on this pathetic little planet. Her voice kept getting stronger, louder under the rage building up inside her heart made the vessel's walls fragile to the point where the metal begun disintegrating, vanishing into thin air giving a more detailed picture of what was inside to the fear stricken bystanders. A truly marvelous sight, every single atom of the ship slowly faded away, taking away everything, the metal, the translucent shield of time even the silicon vanished under the pressure of the travel and the roars that seemed to be unleashed from the inferno of her chest. But she kept standing, Uralus' solution to trick time worked like a charm, not a single wrinkle on her face and body even her clothes were still intact adorning her as she was standing in the middle of the entropy from the object she used as a shield from time's claws.

Once the vessel was almost gone, dispersed into dark matter they saw her; slow deep breaths outlined by the bosom and the green star delicately moving up and down in the red corset, bringing the colors of the jewels on her chest to light; hair waving graciously in the rhythm of the breeze dangling down to the slim waist, unveiling two sensual shoulders peeking through the thick layer of darkness; red silk kissing the two long, stunning legs firmly standing with the two heels digging into the ground; head down staring into the grip of her palms covering the other two green crystals, she stood anchored to the soil grabbing her heels, invoking even more rage inside the cruel, cold heart.

Tony, Nick and Phil were left with their feet planted on the soft muddy ground, the only thing they could feel under them; mouths slightly opened begging for the air to come in their lungs and eyes on every single movement this creature made. They were not alone, every single agent on the sight shared the same amount of astonishment, even agents Romanov and Barton stood as if frostbite slowly took over their bodies once the beauty opened her eyes and lifted the head where everyone's thoughts collided.

Director Fury beat the lump in his throat slightly swallowing the fear of the unknown creature that just dispersed an entire metal ship using nothing but her voice and a grip of her palms, his rough voice brought a sensation of miniscule comfort in everyone's minds when he spoke in an attempt to gain some level of control over the situation, leaning slightly back and extending the large fingers of his palms:

"Keep your voice down and hands where we can see them"

The ominous look almost fried the director's face, flooding it with cold sweat once a feminine, malicious voice exited the ember lips:

"You mean, like this?"

Her hand moved up through the air, causing the three men watching the red glove to fly off the ground and land before agent Romanov's boots standing firmly just a few meters away. Cyntrina just stood there, between Natasha Romanov and agent Barton starring at Natasha's eyes and listening to Barton's thoughts with a small smile of amusement on her face. She could hear Barton's dilemma weather to kill her or just put her to sleep so they could have a chance to learn more about the death of the two boys; the second he decided to put her to sleep and let go the arrow from his bow, she parted from her body leaving it to get hit while she broke free of the 300 year old body that constricted her spirit with its heat.

Everyone gathered around the fallen alien body, coveted in some strange materials with three green crystals sticking out from the blood red dress. When agent Barton approached the crowd, saluted by the smile of relief on Tony's face he looked down the strange creature with telekinetic power lying almost peacefully on the ground.

"Good call Barton, is… she dead?"

"No, just asleep I thought the director would want answers"

"You're damn right I do, get this woman to the Helicarrier"

"Well, she destroyed the thing you called me for, so you don't need me any…"

"We still need you and your helicopter Stark, how do you think we'll get her there?"

"I don't know use one of yours, why does it have to be mine? I am not putting a finger on this woman"

"What's the matter Stark? YOU are scared of a woman?" Natasha mocked his shuddering

"No, I am not scared of her; she just freaks me out … a little"

"Stark, we don't even know how much time we have before she wakes up"

"On humans it's approximately five hours, maybe six tops"

"You heard Barton, and we don't even know what she is so stop whining and let my agents load her to the chopper"

With a dose of fear and disapproval on his face, fighting against his instinct Stark eventually consented to take them all to the base of S.H.I.E.L.D. in his helicopter. Every second of the trip was excruciatingly filled with anxiety, rapidly building up in his mind and body sitting on the leather looking at the alien that seemed to be the reason for this fear. He didn't understand the reason why he had the same feeling of being pulled by his thoughts like something wanted to rip his spirit away, but this time it wasn't that intense as the time in the portal, it was subtle like two eyes watching patiently inside his soul – studying it from mere centimeters distance.

He had every right to be freaking out absently in the vessel carrying the alien while the others looked at him with confusion; Cyntrina's spirit was sitting right next to him curiously staring, poking and probing his spirit and shriveled body:

"Would you look at that, the creature from the portal is a pathetic little eccentric engineer? I see I left a scar in your fragile psyche and now you seem to feel my presence" she floated gracefully around his unsuspecting head, sinking deeper into his own dark thoughts

"That's right feed me your fear, iron man show me what makes you tick." She sat in his lap with her head resting on the leather half glove stroking her cheek gently with the fingers sticking out from it and looked deep into the brown eyes sinking deeper and deeper into the abyss until a hand touched her subject, causing Tony a slight fright but pulling him back in reality where the director's voice fought with noise from the helicopter flooding him with relief.

"Stark, you OK?"

"Yeah, I'm fine just a strange feeling never mind"

Her spirit was now targeting Nick Fury, looking at his frowned face with resent for distracting her previous victim

"And who do we have here? A one eyed "leader" of some kind with a tough guy attitude and his little minion. I suppose you can give me the answers I need about Crichton, tell me does that sound familiar?"

She put her arms around Fury's neck and her fingers traveled up his forehead waking memories of some rusty old crate with a file on a lost astronaut

"Hmm, interesting" sitting on the rough lap of the director, her fingers gently went over the red lips as her spirit moved on to the Hawk

"How about the one who shot me, what's going on in that fuzzy little human head of yours? Huh, spies and their discretion – waste of time"

Running her translucent fingers through his hair she passed through the helicopter and placed her astral body gracefully over the glass of the windshield. Seeing just how much the light bothered the darkness of her eyes and how slow the vessel was moving, she mumbled dreadfully to herself:

"This is going to take forever! I might as well pull myself together; they aren't interested in killing me so they will probably chain me to a wall or something"

She could feel the steal from the handcuffs griping her ankles, her body was placed in a sitting position on the black and white smooth leather of the seat right next to the minion as she called agent Coulson amusing her with his thoughts of desperate attempts to comprehend what happened looking absently from the window, and across the creature that served her Earth on a silver platter – Tony Stark. Gradually, as she begun consuming their thoughts her temperature lowered but no one seemed to notice, the one person great with details – agent Romanov was copiloting the craft and the men begun looting with their eyes all over her slumbering body, not daring to touch the strange creature that fell from the sky.

A familiar scent broke the numb smell of leather in her nostrils taking her back to the time she was a young, innocent little girl in love with the ocean. Diving into the infinity of water every single day once the sun painted it blue until a golden trail stretched away into the horizon. She could still remember her mother's face, the way a single wrinkle broke the smooth area between her eyebrows when she was upset with her insatiable flailing in the water. She could still hear the sweet voice with just a hint of annoyance calling her to come out of the water:

"Cyntrina, the sun whishes you good night"

She would always stay just a little while longer, wiggling the sand with her toes and feasting the once hazel eyes of the last salute from the golden king disappearing gloriously behind the horizon. Until there was no home, no more warm smiles hiding a spark of anger, no sweet voice left to summon her and disturb her battle with the waves, her mother was no more.

The trip to her childhood got interrupted once her spirit saw the Helicarrier, the human structure resting in an infinite pool of water reminding her the time to unleash the entire wrath against the ones who took away her life as a child had finally come. This one was for all the tears that bleed out of her eyes every single night until finally 200 hundred years later they dried out leaving legions on her soul festered with anger and voracious thirst for vengeance. She watched the humans scramble beneath her eyes, on the road of runway – pathetic inferior species pouring oil in the flames of rage in her spirit with every breath they took. Just as the helicopter rested on the helipad, the human hands touching her body almost caused an eruption of wrath as the desire to wake her body up and brake the boat in half rapidly boiled in her astral essence, but the cold hand of hate once again helped her to maintain her wits, pulling her patiently beyond the anger to the bottom of the soul shrouded in darkness.

"Patience Cyntrina, you will have your fun"

Her transparent hand touched the head of her body in a gentle, almost affectionate manner while the humans were placing it in the middle of a glass prison cell in form of a circle lit up by an annoying circular light on its top that brought even the most miniscule of details on her body to light. Even the metal from her handcuffs became shiny under it, causing her spirit to giggle on the sight of them while the echoing voice spoke

"Humans really need to think outside of the box, I mean come on, I use my mind for telekinesis not my arms. Ok, I'll play let's see just what kind of a prison cell this is"

She finally collided with the body lying under the irritating light like a blood stain in the snow against the white floor. She knew they were watching from a distance, waiting for the eyes painted black to open anxiously yearning for answers only she could give, nibbled by fear of the unknown, of her.

"Well, it's rude from me to make them wait too long"

Her thoughts were accompanied by a dramatic flinch of her eyelids and an easily overlooked smile on the lips. Her legs gave her awareness away to the confused humans, slowly extending under the light, mingling the delicate contour of the silk covering them. Her upper body stood up while her hair swept off the floor where Loki used to stand, and tumbled down the naked back where the hole from Hawk's arrow was almost completely gone. She lifted herself with grace, staring out the thick glass from the container, sensing Fury's heavy boots approach with every step he took from the control room to where she was trapped.

"Alright Cyntrina, don't freak out the visitors… much"


	5. Colliding Universe

She grinned a smile once the tall, dark man stood on mere inches distance of the cell, she could tell just by looking at him he was a strong willed human. The black color of every single piece of his vestments only amplified her curiosity as to what was going on in his mind now, while he watched her with his hands behind the long black blazer, maintaining a tough posture while his thoughts scrambled:

"Hell, will this hold her? It has to, bulletproof glass covering the trap designed to drop should she try something funny"

He decided to speak to his prisoner, hiding his worries with a stiff mask of arrogance:

"Just in case you try your trick again, you should know we are now airborne and the container is designed to drop if and when I want to"

"Why would I try anything? You have something I want"

"And what is that?"

"A human, well at least a way for me to get to him"

"Wait; let me get this straight you came all the way to Earth from… who knows where just for one man?"

"Oh, not just any man – The man"

"Where are you from anyway?"

"Why does that concern you? I mean I'm just another headache squeezing your human mind with confusion"

"I don't have headaches"

"Oh, tough guy right. Listen, just give me what I want and I will go away"

"It's never that simple, last time someone said that half of New York got blown up"

"Human, I know of your cravings for answers crawling in your psyche like worms gushing in form of questions out of the one eye left on your face, I can see the curiosity behind the arrogance. As a proof of good faith I will answer only one question ask away?"

"I am still waiting for an answer"

"You people are so dull, no wander you still live on one planet, fine I am from another galaxy? No, more like another universe"

"That's not an answer"

"Don't get all choked up by the details, give me what I want and I will tell you everything you want to know"

"And what is that?"

"The way to John Crichton"

"Who is this Crichton you keep mentioning?"

"Don't play dumb, seriously it doesn't suit you"

"Listen, I don't have time to play games I can't give you what you want if you don't tell me more about it"

"You really don't know…"

Her eyes drifted into the memories of everything the human did in her universe but here, his own planet, his own race had no idea about anything. Lost in space, that is how they labeled him. She struggled with the notion while Fury's voice proceeded firmly as his hands flipped the pages of some folder shrouded in dust

"The only John Crichton involved in any kind of space activities is considered missing"

Her confusion brought a dose of anger in her posture, making the director's body back away slowly from the glass to the sound of her heels fiercely closing in on him; the two dark eyes seemed as if they were swallowing him as they sunk deep into his face, while a malicious voice slowly filled the glass walls with a menacing tone:

"That human has destroyed planets, the most feared battleships and he singlehandedly ended a war and you don't even remember his name? I'll tell you his name – Crichton, John Crichton and if you don't bring him or any other member of his family to me I will break your precious little planet in two"

The director's jaw dropped on the metal bridge holding him in front of the screaming creature bringing a shocking revelation in his face.

"A human, in another universe? Lady, what are you talking about?"

Cyntrina, looking at Fury's face with her eyes, and with her mind into his thoughts finally realized something was wrong with humanity's memory. Her thoughts insanely flew in her head, leaving the director with a profound stare into the confused alien. The noise of her hills furiously pacing into the container was the only sound the other agents could hear, while the alien thought to herself

"No, no, no there is something going on here I have to know why are humans so ignorant, I know he came back home right before the war, it makes no sense unless …"

Her legs stopped moving franticly once a thought fell like a peacekeeper coin on her mind, coming close to the glass, she looked at the mesmerized director and intrigued by his confusion proceeded with a question:

"Tell me, director what exactly is this agency about?"

"Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division" before he could ask her why, she posed another question:

"So if there was another human out there in another universe and in case he came back, you would know right?"

"Yes, we would but what does that have to do with anything …"

"In my universe, there is a division of races, species and one company in charge of keeping the peace. They call them peacekeepers. Now, they can be contracted for protection of a planet, colony or race and act as guardians of the…"

A small pause in her sentence once Fury's mind immediately led her to Thor, of Asgard the demy God as humans called him and his race of Asgardians. A spark in her eyes while her delicate back turned to the unsuspecting director standing stiff with face shrouded in confusion, the alien continued:

"Peace and order of their subjects. They are the dominant race, Sebaceans very similar to you humans with minor differences in physiology"

"Are you one of them?"

"I am Sebacean but not a peacekeeper"

"And you say you are here because of one human?"

"Yes, because of John Crichton"

"Why are you after him?"

"Look, little man I already gave you my word I will answer all your questions once you bring me a Crichton relative, preferably his father. Your constant confusion and stalling won't get you anything except my annoyance, so go fetch me John's father or we'll do things my way"

"And what exactly is your way?"

"Continue this charade of idiotic questions and you will find out."

"You know, you aren't the only one with good instincts, or powers"

"What's that supposed to mean? Oh, you think your pathetic little race will stand a chance if I want to destroy it? Please, no defense screens around its axis, minimal surveillance range, I practically landed right through your front door"

The director stood with a defensive posture, arms crossed one over the other with his legs slightly parted and his eye on the astonishing alien glued to the glass; she looked surprisingly human same body structure, same voice but what caught his attention from the very beginning was the fact she spoke their language – English. As he turned away from her, he couldn't help but ask:

"One more thing, how do you know our language if you are from another universe?"

Her ember lips grinned in a smile, bringing to light the white teeth she answered:

"That's for me to know and you to figure out"

Fury moved away leaving Cyntrina curious as to what his last thought was:

"The Avengers initiative? What does that even mean?"

Tony Stark together with agents Romanov, Barton and Coulson stood with their eyes stuck on the surveillance monitors, looking at the confusing creature move with grace around the cell, handcuffed but still she had a creepy feeling about her it was almost like she chose to be there, waiting for them to give her what she wanted. Tony was particularly intrigued by her; he sank deeper in the feed that seemed like some strange déjà vu, not noticing Fury standing next to him, his voice pulled him away from the screen making him jump in surprise:

"Wow, make some noise when you walk Jeez!"

"Stark, get a grip you've been jumpy all day! Barton, Natasha what do you make of her?"

"She's hiding something; you want me to give her a try?" Natasha's eyes switched to Fury;

"What if she's Asgardian? I don't buy the "another universe" theory, do you?" The Hawk added to his friend's thoughts

"No, I feel like I've seen her before… somewhere …" Stark's groping caused Natasha to tease him:

"Well, I can see how she might be your type" The slight relief of humor was smashed by agent's Coulson's question:

"Sir, we have located Jack Crichton – former director of the International Aeronautics and Space Administration; the father of the missing astronaut do you want him here?"

"Bring him, but first call Jane Foster I want to know if Thor is in town"

"Why would you need Thor, look at her, she seems easy to handle?"

Natasha's brows folded on the puzzled face since the mention of calling Thor seemed rather unnecessary to her

"To tell us if she's from one of the nine realms, in the meantime you have a crack at her maybe she will loosen up. Hawk stay close we don't want her to break out"

Fury gave his orders but once Tony snapped out of the haze this creature wrapped around his head he spoke in a clear, almost radiant voice:

"Wait, Natasha don't go … let me try I think I know why she freaks me out"

"Oh, do tell why?" a sarcastic note in Natasha's voice

"Look trust me, you won't get anything from her; for all we know she could be a spy too, you'll hit a brick wall"

"Stark, what's wrong with you? First you want to stay away from her now you want to cuddle with her? What are you gonna use to get answers, your impeccable personality or maybe your good looks?"

Tony replied in an equally crude, sarcastic manner:

"Haha, no I was thinking more from the line of flattery instead of manipulation"

Nick Fury's face lit up as an idea popped in his mind while agent Coulson informed him Thor was coming too:

"Sir Thor is coming too; he'll be here in less than 10 minutes"

"What about the father of the astronaut?"

"They just brought him in"

"Wait, Stark may have a point, if we go in one by one she'll lift her guard up and we might piss her off. You go together, first Tony, then Natasha and finally if that doesn't work Thor brings in what was his name again?"

Coulson: "Jack, Sir, Jack Crichton"

"Stark, try and distract her while Natasha does her trick"

As they both begun walking away from the control room to the cell Fury's voice bounced off the walls:

"Stark, don't blow this one"

Tony's hand rose up and his fingers wiggled through the air in disagreement as his back vanished from Fury's sight.

Cyntrina stood peacefully with her arms cuffed behind her back in the middle of the cell, waiting for Tony and Natasha to amuse her with their attempts to learn more about her and her plans. She knew they were coming; her spirit could sense the two profoundly different souls, one delicate with an almost negligible touch of narcissism and another, cold and calculated – a female no doubt.

In the meantime, Fury was looking at the man with silvering hair walking in step with his agents, elderly but still with a tough posture and a face where a spark of anger and confusion were evident. The agents left him alone with the director, whose words baffled the father of the lost astronaut even more:

"Jack Crichton, right?"

"Can someone tell me what is all this about?" Jack's defiant voice came out with conviction

"Sir, I am Nick Fury – director of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division or S.H.I.E.L.D, you may have heard of us"

"Oh, I have heard of you. You are the reason for the repeated denials of another Farscape project"

"Sir, that's the reason you were brought in…"

"Don't tell me that after almost 15 years you finally decided to approve another one?"

"Not quite, this is about your son…"

Jack's eyes widened and the previous note of arrogance in his voice vanished on the mention of his son, and with concern smeared all over his face he continued:

"You found John? Where is he?"

"No, I'm afraid we didn't find him. But turns out someone else is looking for him too"

"Who? Ever since he disappeared, the last attempt to find him was ten years ago? What would any agency be looking for now?"

Jack's confusion rumbled inside his body, tickling his heartbeat and invoking butterflies in his stomach, while Fury's voice filled his ears

"Sir, no Earth agency is looking for your son. We have a visitor who claims to be from a different universe looking for him"

Jack's heart sunk on the floor in front of his shoes, his palm covered his mouth to prevent the internal scream caused by this notion

"What do you mean another universe? Where is it? Does that mean my son is alive?"

Panic poured like acid in his abdomen, bringing tears to his eyes struggling to tumble down the wrinkled face

"Sir, we don't know for sure but we assume she is a hostile"

"Hostile? Wait she? You talked to her?"

"Yes, she speaks English and wants to come in contact with your son through you. I will ask you a question and require that you be totally forthcoming with me…"

The director carefully approached the topic he was interested in, while Jack stood in front of him sinking deeper into his words:

"Was there ever any contact between any member of your family and John Crichton over the last 15 years during his disappearance?"

The elderly man's face frowned in anger after the weight of the question he considered stupid finally dropped in his mind. His voice went off in a furious manner accompanied by the palms franticly waving in front of the tall, dark one eyed man:

"I don't believe this! For 15 years I have been knocking on every agency's front doors petitioning for a formation of space retrieval squads and begging for funding to realize another Farscape project just to find a tiny hope or lead as to what happened to my son and now you think I've been in contact with him all along? You people are unbelievable!"

"Sir, calm down we didn't bring you here to accuse you of anything, on the contrary we just want to know why she is interested in meeting you?"

"Wait, what? She wants to meet me? Why?"

"We don't know but we have our best agents working on finding out"

"What happens if they don't learn anything?"

"Then we would like you to speak to her"

"I want to speak to her now, where is she?"

Jack's body jumped toward the surveillance monitors desperately trying to see where the alien interested in him was

"Sir you can't do that, you are the last alternative we plan to use"

Nick's arms grabbed the frantic man in front of him, preventing him from even looking at the monitors

"No, I want to know if my son is alive" Jack insisted, pushing Nick back with anticipation

"Sir, with all due respect if she is looking for him that probably means he is alive"

"You can't possibly know that"

"You have a point, but what I do know is that I have a mean and powerful alien that destroyed the ship she used to come here and sent me and two of my men flying on our buts using only her voice and some strange green crystals on her palms"

Jack took a step back upon hearing Fury's words, now even more confused than before he whispered with a voice daunted by fear:

"What are you going to do?"

"We are working on it, but if something goes wrong the plan B is out of this world"

Fury's eyes caught sight of the God of lightning entering the room, bringing a scent of power with his presence, and a hint of hope for keeping the whole situation under control.

Stark finally stood in front of Cyntrina, she could feel the beat of his heart going faster as the cold sweat broke out on his face. She was making him nervous, she liked it but she carefully picked her words not wanting to give away anything, at least not before Jack and the Asgardian were in the room. Silk slowly sliding down her legs, crossed one over the other revealing her unusual footwear consisting of leather straps and collars bent around to her knees. She didn't take the dark eyes off the puny human staring at her in awe:

Cyntrina: "You know I don't bite" almost flirtatious voice lured Stark with sensuality

Tony Stark: "I wouldn't know" an arrogant tone, masking a spark of curiosity

Cyntrina, continuing with what she knew he wanted to hear:

"You can come closer, I know you want to"

Stark's eyebrow rose up to the strange comment she made:

"What are you?"

Cyntrina, again prompted his mind with the answer he wanted to hear

"Related to your kind if you are asking for my species"

Unable to tame it, Stark's curiosity peaked with a question:

"How do you do that?"

Pulling him in, with a tone of surprise she answered:

"What?"

"It feels like you are in my mind… " Tony dared to say his mind

Not even trying to deny it, a contemptuous smile took over her lips:

"Or maybe I've been around a very long time?"

Checking her out from head to toe while the red silk fell on the body lifting graciously off the bench in the cell:

"No, I don't think so. You wouldn't be wearing that dress if you have"

Feeling her provocative posture got his attention she asked:

"You like my dress?"

A futile attempt to avoid that kind of conversation gave away his intentions as to why he was there:

"Maybe. Maybe I'm just confused by this whole situation"

Cyntrina, knowing Jack was on the Helicarrier decided to have a little fun freaking out the humans once a subtle scent of the steady thoughts of Black widow filled her mind, hinting her Natasha could actually pose a danger so she decided to move things along

"Or maybe you and your girlfriend are here to poke the big wig"

Tony didn't expect Natasha's presence so soon, he turned around but when he failed to see anyone else, the thought that he was alone in the presence of a creature capable of telepathy brought frost on his back. He could feel the two dark eyes staring at him even his back was turned against her. Somehow he gathered the strength to turn around, a slow turn that stabbed him in the heart once he saw the handcuffs lying in the middle of the cell. The alien was loose, to the shock of everyone on the Helicarrier watching the events unravel, red smoke morphed behind Stark, slowly taking shape of a woman holding a green laser rope to his neck:

"Now that we are so close, tell me why didn't you suit up for me?"

Stark, standing between the green saw and the alien with a smooth skin and a strange fragrance of incense, squeezing her face on to his, tried to hide his panic behind his rant:

"Wow, you know for a first date I tend not to be so official"

"Oh, but this isn't our first date, and you know it"

"Erm, I'm pretty sure it is? I would remember a chick with a laser rope coming out of her palms"

"Tony, Tony, Tony! You humans really need to pay attention to your instincts! Let me refresh your memory"

A cloud of red smoke swallowed Stark while Cyntrina pulled their bodies into her incorporeal realm. To everyone watching it was as if they vanished into thin air with nothing but a green flash behind, but Stark could see they were heading to the command room, trapped between her astral claws not being able to feel his own body, joined to an essence so angry, so restless it paralyzed him with her heat and his own fear of never being corporeal again.

The command room was a place where panic begun rising in everyone's gut, everyone except two men, Fury and Thor. Fury was trying desperately to maintain the balance, playing out possible scenarios in his mind while Coulson replayed the image of her brake out and rapture of Stark, and Thor sunk into his thoughts to the sight of her vanishing into the air looking for an explanation of his own.

Jack Crichton stood next to Thor when he felt a deviance of the temperature around him, slight warmth culminating with a reek of incense and something grabbing his neck. The agents didn't realize she was there until they heard a thump on the floor accompanied by Stark's desperate attempts to breathe once he was corporeal again. The voice of the alien rumbled through the walls, causing everyone's eyes to glue to the creature holding Jack two meters up in the air with the fingers of the extended arm in a strong grip she turned to Stark:

"See, I knew you'd remember! After all I have you to thank for inviting me here"

"Put the man down, he doesn't have anything to give you"

The eyes of a ripper turned to the director, and a subtle voice came out of the ember lips:

"It's fascinating just how much potential you humans have, but still you think words are the only means of communication. Your thoughts last forever. Find a way to extend one and you've got yourself a live, timeless connection. I prefer relatives to my target that's how I know the hardware (she means DNA) won't fail"

Agents Barton and Romanov, thinking they could utilize the situation to their advantage tried shooting her down but were stunned to see a red shield of power forming around her, dissolving their bullets and arrows. Cyntrina turned to Thor, looking deep in the noble soul of the warrior's heart, she murmured:

"If you want this ship to keep floating through the air, don't even think about using your hammer"

Thor's flinch between his fingers paralyzed with her words, he's mind sifted through possibilities how to eliminate her while his blue eyes kept agile under the pressure of the situation.

"Now daddy, think about your son"

Jack's legs kicked franticly through the air while his palms glued to his neck desperately trying to get rid of the sensation of being strangled. Cyntrina saw through his fear of death and feasted upon the man's thoughts of his son. A dramatic, menacing voice filled everyone's ears as she continued but this time closing her eyes:

"Hello Johnny, you will never guess who I ran into on your pathetic little planet"

She focused on Jack's thoughts of his missing son, filling the room with red smoke, oozing from her body making her green star shaped crystals stand out both with the intensity of light and color. It was like time stopped for all the agents on the command room, they stood paralyzed on the sight of the haze forming a translucent silhouette of a sphere room in front of their hungry eyes, right in the middle of the command. She was reaching out to John Crichton directly through his father's thoughts and DNA, and it finally worked.

John, Aeryn, D'Argo, Chiana, Stark and Sikozu had just reached the Hynerian planetary system, looking down on the royal planet where their old friend Dominar Rygel the 16th invited them as guests. The living ship was bathing in the solar light from the star in the middle of the Hynerian system. Her passengers shared Moya's bliss soaking their eyes in the view of the green royal planet, when a strange red mist invaded the command room hypnotizing the Stykera – Stark with its red glow and slow movements. At first the others didn't notice it but as the scent of incense filled the large, refined Luxan nostrils D'Argo was the first one to turn back from the view, flapping his tentacles through the air, the sleeves from his red general uniform slid down the strong hands as he uncrossed them from under the brown, shapely chest, touching John with his fingers:

"John, I think you should see this…"

The unsuspecting Crichton stood between his little boy and his wife, former peacekeeper officer Aeryn Sun pointing out the royal planet to his son, he replied with indifference:

"Not now D, the little guy is checking out the planets"

The next one to see it was Chiana, annoyed by Stark's humming and unusual running around, the gray face turned with determination and intention to shut him up, but her voice failed to exit once she saw D'Argo and Stark surrounded by some mist, slowly expanding around the command room. The black gloves touched the pale skin with barely visible red scales all over the Kalish body of Sikozu, notifying her to turn around. The cold and calculated Sikozu immediately addressed the issue with the pilot through her communication device, in a manner characteristic for her personality:

"Pilot, are you registering anything foreign bodies penetrating Moya's skin?"

The purple eight handed creature piloting the tear shaped leviathan, shook the head in form of a shield as a sign of confirmation, but his eyes stuck out in confusion

"Yes Sikozu, Moya is registering some changes but they are not external, it seems the source is inside…"

Chiana's black lips fired up a voice shrouded in confusion:

"Well who's the source?"

The pilot's static body communicated with the living ship through their link, and another enigmatic answer flew out his snout:

"The source seems to be Commander Crichton"

The gray face of the Nebari Chiana was shrouded in shock, her voice yelled to the human:

"Crichton, you are leaking some kind of mist"

John turned around and found himself oozing with red, shimmering mist slowly morphing and making out humanoid forms and shapes. He couldn't help but franticly jump to the fright the mist gave him, his arms squeezed his chest that seemed to be causing the creepy effect

Aeryn, carried away by the family moment caressed the hair of little D'Argo not even registering the panicky voices, slowly backing away from them. It wasn't until John's voice yelled in horror that reality slapped fear on her face:

"What's happening to me?"

Stark, the Banic slave traveling with them omitted a scream of absolute desperation, his soul couldn't take the pressure of mental energy building up around them, as a Stykera – a mystic being containing the necessary energy to deal with the dying he could feel the emotion the mist carried – it was beyond anger or wrath, it was fury screaming in his head with the voices of the souls Cyntrina took over the centuries, every single one like tiny pieces of glass pulsing in his head underneath the leather of the mask covering it.

"Can someone please shut him up, and tell me what the frell is going …"

Aeryn didn't manage to finish her sentence when the sight of all the S.H.I.E.L.D agents standing in form of red holograms on Moya's command hit her over the head, cutting her thoughts in half and a cold smothering sensation of fear froze her abdomen. She reached out to John with her next sentence:

"John, is that your father?"

John just stood there, his skin gradually changed in color from white to red under the gloating mist that kept leaking out of him, causing a burning sensation from the black leather of his clothes. The one person besides Cyntrina that was actually amused was the little guy, John and Aeryn's son, giggling quietly with his little fingers covering the cheeks of his oval face.

The sight was mutual and equally creepy in both dimensions, back on the Helicarrier she molded a hologram out of the haze, making seven distinct life forms come out in the red mist looking right back at them, with the equal amount of surprise and shock on their faces. One of the life forms was the lost astronaut, John Crichton staring at his father with voice full of disbelief he spoke to the creature standing between the two realities:

"What's going on? Who are you? Is that Earth?"

Jack immediately recognized his son's voice, he's cry couldn't conquer the grip Cyntrina had on his neck so the desperate attempts of calling out for his son drowned in the tears from his eyes. She pulled two different realities into one, singular shared by both sides, the humans on the Helicarrier and the aliens in the room of their ship

Standing in the middle with the father of the man that ruined her life she looked into Crichton's eyes and begun her speech:

"Now that we are all here, well some more than others, I am here with your fellow race members and using your daddy as a direct link to call you home"

Crichton, still having trouble believing his eyes and ears replied

"What is this? How is it even possible?"

Cyntrina, slightly annoyed by all the questions from everyone rolled her eyes back and gave the humans some basic grounds

"Ok, I'll put it simple for you: humans, this is your lost astronaut and his alien friends, Crichton in the lack of a better term, I simply wished you here think of Maldis that may help you understand"

John, unable to comprehend what this alien was talking about stood in form of a red, translucent hologram in front of some humanoid aliens, barely managed to say the words:

"Who are you?"

"I am someone who spent more than 300 hundred cycles as a slave of the fate you, Aeryn, D'Argo and Stark caused!"

"What are you talking about? I have no idea who you are!"

The agents carefully watched the situation, the stained relationship between the holograms and the being that summoned them, pulling them in with every single movement they made. The reaction of the Banic slave to the flinch of pure, ravenous rage on Cyntrina's face almost made Thor jump, while Tony Stark managed to stand up and got near to the demy God. John's words plunged steaming lava on the place where her heart used to be, causing an eruption of screams and frantic flapping of the baggy robe from one of the holograms; it was Stark the Banic slave the one who heard the voices from the pool of blood in her soul:

"She dwells alone, bloodshed in a monastery, she dwells alone, she dwells alone, it's the lies, the lies brought doom on Pantheon"

Incomprehensible cries of desperation flying out from the frantic alien with one eye, moaning and turning to the confused crowd of agents until a warrior's hand whacked him over the face causing a dull sound of his body over the metal floor. D'Argo knocked him out cold allowing Cyntrina to continue:

"You don't remember me like this, but I do remember all of you! Let me remind you: war on Pantheon does that ring a bell?"

"Pantheon? War? I'm sorry I still have no idea who you are?"

"You destroyed a planet with your presence, put oil in the Venek fire that waged to conquer it and you don't know its name? You will die by my hand John Crichton!"

The look of confusion vacated Aeryn's eyes when a thought flashed in her head

"John, I think she is talking about the peace memorial…"

"Give the peacekeeper grunt an award!"

Cyntrina's rabid face turned to Aeryn, and then back to John still squeezing his father by the throat that seemed it could burst in any second

"I realize your fellow humans have no idea what's going on, but you know oh boy do you know! If you are still wandering the name is Cyntrina …"

A deep, melancholic voice from above the long Luxan chin interrupted her sentence, as Stark's words finally sunk in D'Argo's mind:

"Cyntrina… daughter of nurse Kelsa… the monastery…"

"Don't you just adore Luxans? So durable memory yet somehow, limited mentally?"

John, looking at the eyes of his own guilt that haunted him for more than a decade, battled the lump in his throat expelling a cry from his lungs

"What do you want?"

"I want you all here; back where it all started – with you! If you don't come back to your precious planet, it will end up like Liko's one – beaten up and in flames. You have until my patience runs out, three days give or take"

John's body continued leaking red mist, with his head down in shame and his look kissing the floor he spoke to the alien, in a last attempt to show force:

"Leave my race out of this, I'll find a way to get there"

"Good, I'd kill you right now but being in a different universe and all limits my abilities. Too bad mommy's dead"

John lifted his head up, and looked at the crowd of human faces shriveled in fear, knowing he was the reason a powerful being threatening his planet cut his heart like a knife, causing it to drown in sorrow for the bad choices he made. He covered his mouth with the trembling palm to the sight of tears on his father's face, mumbling through a mask of hope with a voice of regret:

"Dad, don't worry I'll fix this"

"Yeah, yeah, right! Oh, before I hang up as a sign that I'm a woman of my word and to motivate you, know that if you are not here in three days daddy gets it first!"

A swing of her arm and the mist was gone; Jack's body tumbled on the floor while the blurry holograms entered the green crystal under her chest sucking her body with it. The alien disappeared as fast as it appeared in the command room of the Helicarrier leaving everyone baffled by what they saw. The director's voice pulled them back to reality, roaming between the glass walls of the vessel:

"I want every surveillance device eyeing for this woman, Stark, she took you once what did you see?"

Stark, still trying to make sense of the events that played out before his eyes answered absently remembering the fraction of time that seemed to last a lifetime when she took him:

"She was carrying me here… but she showed me something else…"

"What did she show you?" Thor, realizing she wasn't from any of the nine realms demanded more information from the confused man in front of him:

Squinting his eyes in remembrance Tony answered:

"She showed me the time I was flying the bomb through the wormhole, but the way she saw it… Oh my God, I'm not crazy! Someone else was watching!"

Natasha crudely interrupted Tony's introspection, turning to Thor for answers:

"Is anything about her familiar to you?"

Thor's answer worried both Natasha and Barton:

"She is not from any places known to me or any other Asgardian; I have never seen such power before"

Fury's voice invoked the genius logic of the engineer, asking him for his opinion:

"Stark, any thoughts on what you saw?"

"I'm a mechanic not a physicist …"

"Stark, being humble? Man what did she do to you?" a wandering voice from Barton's lips

"Ok, look my understanding of physics does not extend to dark matter dimensional manipulation"

Natasha: "You can create a new element but you can't process a trick an alien does?"

Stark: "I'll go out on a limp here but it looked like two realities collided into one dimension"

Familiar fragrance of incense filled the room once again, but this time Thor's mighty body was being shrouded in the mist that followed her appearance. The sound of metal pound on the floor made everyone's head turn to the demy god, lying flat with his face against the floor. His back, covered with red silk from the alien standing on it, struggled aimlessly in attempts to push her down and get up. She used his own anger of being ambushed against him, pushing him down with her extended fingers over his head as the weight of his emotion was getting stronger and gradually morphed in rage:

"Well, well, well, smart little human! And here I thought you were all inferior" her presence put everyone on edge, especially Thor's rumbling voice under her heel

"Get … off … me!"

"Oh, I will get off but when you decide to take me to your kingdom"

"I will do no such thing, you demonic creature!"

"Yes you will, if you value human lives"

The one free arm of the body dominating the Norse God reached for one of the agents standing in the glass hall, lifting his shriveled body up in the air, her mind focusing on his fear while Thor's voice made her body vibrate:

"Noooo, let him go!"

The lure of the growing terror on the face of the agent floating before her tickled her appetite; desire burning in her eyes, temperature coiling inside her gut erupting with a snap of his neck. A jolt of cold fizzed inside the sensual woman once she consumed his essence causing Thor to feel her heel slightly jump on the iron shield

"I can do this until all of your precious humans staring at us end up like this! So what's it gonna be Blondie?"

Seeing no possible exit from the situation, Thor's thoughts considered tricking her into submission, just waiting for her grip to loosen up:

"Do not touch another human, I will take you …"

Hearing his thoughts, she leaned over the warrior's head rapidly placing the crystals of her palms against each other making a green laser rope she curled around Thor's neck. As she loosened her grip, Thor's body straightened as he got up from the floor and tried to reach the parasite on his back with the strong, rugged arms. She saw his move coming so her legs wrapped around his masculine arms, trapping his head between her loins and the infernal green saw.

"Cccc, steady!"

"How do you expect me to take to Asgard if you don't let me use the Mjölnir?"

"You lead with thoughts of your home, and I follow, there is no way I'm letting you to be in charge! Oh, and don't even try hitting me with that thick Asgardian skull, I go down, your head is coming with me"

The blue eyes on the distraught face of the Norse god closed, lifting his head thoughts of his home flourished in his heart. Words of sorrow on his lips:

"Forgive me, father"

The cold heart of the predator on his back could feel the power of the demy God, and her raging spirit knew how to use it, seeing the way to the kingdom of the glorious Asgardians stretching like a golden path in front of her eyes:

"That's it, think of your daddy – the all mighty king"

The agents stood paralyzed to what they witnessed next, the almighty Thor sucked into a pretty green star adorning the chest of a being seemingly more powerful than him. Red cloud of mist swallowed Thor as his body and essence were captured among the claws of Cyntrina's raging spirit. Thoughts of betrayal dwelled in his soul as the distance to his kingdom got smaller; he could feel the heat from the spirit clawing him, sifting through his soul, through his emotion. The impotence he felt once they flew across Asgard, passing right in front of Hemdall confused face, right in his palace, in front of his father's throne.


	6. The king's secrets

The throne where a mischievous scheme went on for months, a frost giant put a dagger of betrayal in the back of the Asgardian that saved him as a child. Loki was finally king, sitting in the body of Odin, killing him slowly with each passing day, patiently waiting for his power to die down, so he could come out of the warn out cocoon, and assume what he thought was his birth right. A sight of red mist interrupted the contemptuous enjoyment of the throne, intriguing his eyes with its movements and increasing size and density. A clear sight of Thor, carrying some strange female on his back smeared his face with surprise. Thor, humiliated and subdued? A woman riding on his back, utilizing him as a horse, reining him with a laser rope? A minuscule smile managed to slip away on the face while inside, Loki was struggling not to burst into laughter, focusing his mind on the deceit, he spoke words of confusion:

"Thor, what is this?"

In shame, looking at the floor Thor's voice mumbled words of regret:

"I am sorry Father, she … "

"I see her doing, who is she? How did you…"

The first thing that caught her attention, as her eyes saw how the king stood in confusion, was the creature sitting on the throne behind the king, desperately trying not to burst into laughter. He was a strange sight, appearance different form the king and his son – darker, more sinister, different posture, but what intrigued her was his essence. Even among the fiercest cold climates of some planets she destroyed, she hadn't felt an essence so cold but somehow, absorbing heat so well. She realized Thor, or any other Asgardian couldn't see through the mask of the real king he wore, but she could, and for some reason she liked what she was staring at. And she knew it was mutual, the creature on the other side of the king was lured by her presence as well. She knew he was hiding in plain sight; her eyes saw through the ruse, and sunk deep in his mind, where his cravings for acceptance gave her an idea as to how to manipulate him.

Loki's eyes glared at the body twisted around his brother, the fragile knees bending over his brother's arms, the red gloves on the slim arms yielding Thor's head in the middle of a green saw, but what really stood out, were the ember lips on the face of the predator. Smoldering, red abundance of sinister enjoyment, curved in a provocative smile as words strayed out:

Cyntrina: "Your … majesty? Eminence? Whatever suits your "royal" presence, I have come to ask you a question no human can answer, I'm sorry for holding your only son by the throat, and riding on his back like this, but I was in a hurry, and he was the only thing I could find in order to get here from the pathetic, little planet"

"Only son?" Loki's mind stiffed on the two words he felt as an insult, causing his essence to notify her she was on the right track, but his arrogance ruined the sweet, chilly taste of his anger

Loki/Odin: "I will not answer to someone with so little common sense, disrespecting me, my son my kingdom"

She despised arrogance; it reminded her of one of the Triad leaders – Enec, the Lukythian supreme leader, she desperately wanted to kill, but had to tolerate, on the other hand this creature was going to pay for it dearly:

Cyntrina to Loki: "is this some kind of a joke?"

Cyntrina to Thor: "Seriously, tell me what you see"

Thor:"I see my father, you crazy woman!"

Cyntrina: "Ok, than tell me who's funny face with the two large horns, behind the royal but of the old man?"

Thor:"I will not allow you to mock the memory of my brother in such crude manner!"

Cyntrina:"Blondie, you are in no condition to deny me anything, I am the one holding an infernal saw to your neck, so pay attention and tell me, do you see it or not?"

Loki/Odin:"Son, what is this creature talking about?"

Thor:"She thinks Loki's behind you"

Loki/Odin:"That's impossible, he died…"

Cyntrina, to herself: "I know I will regret this, because I never get politically involved, but this guy…" turning to Loki:

"Princess, drop the act before you drop from the throne"

Thor: "Choose your words wisely; your grip won't last forever"

Loki/Odin: "Son, get this parasite off your back"

Cyntrina: "Look, there is no need for you to be arrogant, just hear me out and give me an answer"

Loki/Odin: "You are the one diseased with arrogance, storming into my kingdom, holding my son a hostage as a brazen vulgarity between your legs"

Cyntrina: "Princess, stop testing me"

Thor: "Stop insulting the king of Asgard!"

Cyntrina "Blondie, shut up!"

Loki/Odin: "Son, kill her!"

Cyntrina, seeing how things escalated quickly, and she already started losing her grip over Thor's struggling body, controlling his anger, thus making her weaker and getting focused on throwing her off his back; once his rugged arms started slipping from under her legs, she finally decided to put an end to Loki's ruse:

"Blondie, I am not your enemy, so stop fighting me and behold, your brother – the fallen hero"

Jumping off Thor's tense back, the green rope from her palms vanished, as her hand reached for Loki's essence, ripping him off the Odin's body, thus causing him to tumble down the stairs of the throne.

The surprise in Thor's voice bounced off the walls, and his eyes sunk in disappointment to the sight of his brother prostrated on the floor, he ran up to check up on his father:

"Loki… Father, what has he done…?"

Loki's face rested before the delicate legs of the woman that parted him from his throne. His body slowly lifted off the ground, watching the one person who took away everything he wanted with a simple grip of her hand. She caused wrath within him, building up rapidly as her deep, dark eyes stared into his. A disturbing voice came out of the frost giant:

"You, ruined everything!"

She lifted her palms defensively against him, mocking and feeding on his rage:

"I did warn you, but the spoiled little brat wouldn't listen"

Her mockery caused a fire of wrath, burning down to his gut:

"Have you any idea who, you are mocking?"

"Yes, a pathetic little princess, with serious inferiority issues!"

"Careful, your insults may cost you dearly you misbegotten lout!"

Daunting circles of rage before the Asgardian throne, red silk caressing the golden floor, while an enraged frost giant chased a beautiful maiden, evading his grip with ease, and filling the room with malevolent hoot. A powerful voice put an end to her dance, causing the long black hair to finally settle over her shoulders, she heard a sinister thought in Thor's mind, that distracted her from Loki's rage:

Thor: "Enough! Loki what is the meaning of this?"

Loki: "Brother, not now"

Loki's arms gripped the body of the subject of his rage, squeezing Cyntrina tight around the neck with one hand, and pulling a dagger with the other. Vengeful whispers filled her ear, as Loki's face got closer to hers

"Let's see how a dagger will suit you"

A cold touch of bliss on her neck, while the face of the frost giant violently pressed against hers, grabbing the abyss of smoldering anger forcefully against his chest, that felt like a frost kingdom of heaven to Cyntrina's raging spirit. She found someone, who liberated her from the heat her spirit generated in its wrath with a simple touch, for a second her eyes closed as she gave in the temptation of tasting his cold, sadistic essence, but the tip of the blade poking her spine pulled her back to the life threatening reality, where her trembling voice whispered:

"Princess, I suggest you point that dagger elsewhere, clearly you are not very popular around here"

Thor's voice continued to roam between the walls, invoking guards and healers, gradually coming down the stairs, anger distorted his face, as he made it clear Cyntrina was right:

"You have betrayed everything this kingdom has ever bestowed you! Tell me why should I not kill you this instance?"

Still holding on to the alluring neck, for a second, he could feel the effect his cold touch had on the sweltering alien, a pulse of fever through the slender physique he caused merely with his presence. Enjoying the new found, but short lived power over Cyntrina, his ravenous eyes turned to Thor while Cyntrina pulled back from his pool, annoying him even more, with the gloating tone in her dramatic voice:

"See what I mean?"

Before he could answer to anything, the green silk and leather of his vestments flew through the air with a swing of Cyntrina's hand, once again causing him a painful slam on the floor. But this time she held on, keeping him down as she bit the lips in insatiable desire for his essence, a voice gushing with perverted lust came out from her lips:

"You… are… unique… in any universe"

Before she could get enough of the frost of Loki's soul, Thor's words interrupted her feast:

Thor: "Guards, get them both out of my sight"

Cyntrina, although Loki got her undivided attention, still managed to anticipate the thoughts of the old king, sitting almost paralyzed on his throne, trying desperately to come to his senses, thinking of nothing but punishing his adopted son, and praising her presence that freed him from Loki's scheme. She decided to let the dozen guards take her away to the Asgardian prison with Loki, grinning a smile as she let go of his essence, and let the guards chain her hands and lift her off the royal floor.

Loki on the other hand, was confused as to what happened while his face, glued on the floor, somehow felt as if she tore a wedge between his spirit and reality, leaving him paralyzed, and unable to move until she decided to let go. Although she stirred up some rage with her presence, he was intrigued as to how she could possibly do that, a thought flourished in his mind, while he watched her psychotic grin reflect from the guards' shields, she saw him, not Thor or Odin but him, – the one who spent a lifetime in the shadows of the Asgardian giants.

While Cyntrina was light years away from Earth, in the kingdom of the Asgardians, one human was sitting in the quarters of a living ship, with his heart in his hands, hurting for what he saw before. John Crichton, – the notorious human in another universe now feared for his family, his race, his planet. A comforting palm on his shoulder delivered a strong, but gentle squeeze, while the deep, Luxan voice spoke words that sunk into John's heart, thus causing a discussion overwhelmed with guilt:

"John, it wasn't our fault…"

"Then whose fault was it D'Argo? We left…"

"We thought we were doing the right thing…"

"See think, the verb think, that's what we didn't do!"

"What else could have we done? The Venek horde would have killed us all if we stayed!"

"We could have saved the little girl… You know, from all the things we've done, I never thought this one, was gonna come around and bite us in the ass"

"John, we thought her dead… we did everything to try and fix it"

"We should have tried harder; there ain't no fixing it now"

Anguish claimed the beautiful, sharp lined face of Aeryn as she, Chiana and Sikozu joined John and D'Argo in the half circle bronze room of the Leviathan. Aeryn's voice brought a slight spark of relief, between the storm of fear waging in John's gut:

"Rygel consented on babysitting little D'Argo while we are gone"

Chiana, knowing the answer to her question, still asked the crowd of faces beaten up by regret:

"So, we are really going back to Earth?"

"Yes Chiana, we are going to face a little girl, whose planet got slaughtered in a war we screwed up, and we didn't even know its name"

With one palm hiding half of his face in shame, John answered the question.

"John, it wasn't our fault, stop beating yourself over it"

Projecting her guilt in denial, Aeryn mumbled as she knelled in front of her husband, caressing his hair gently, while her eyes offered comfort to his soul.

"Aeryn, she is angry at me, at us for leaving her without a mother, and if that wasn't bad enough, Maldis tortured her into growing up"

A curious voice broke the profound sadness ruling over the room:

"Who is this Maldis?"

Chiana answered Sikozu's question with a flare of annoyance:

"An old fekkik, with unique appetite for emotion, the bad kind: fear, hate, rage and ultimately essence"

D'Argo: "Five hundred years, a long time to stir up a grudge on her own, let alone the help she had from that pathetic energy sucking vampire"

Sikozu, deductive as always, brought some insight into their confusion:

"I've heard, stories about it but never… was this Maldis corporeal, or did he reside into another realm?"

D'Argo: "He had the power to strip the body from the spirit why?"

Sikozu continued: "I've heard of a being like that, almost destroyed the Scarran dynasty, legends of individuals dropping dead with no explanation. But every single one, begun with the arrival of a young girl on a planet…"

John: "Oh my God, now she's on Earth!"

Aeryn:"Sikozu that's enough! Pilot any word on close by wormholes?"

The pilot's voice came through the comms with good news, but somehow they burdened even more:

"I have located a wormhole, approximately eighteen arns from our current destination, shall I set a course?"

John gave a gut wrenching answer:

"Set it pilot, and let's hope we get to Earth on time"

The living ship begun its cruse through the vacuum of space, furthering away from the Hynerian system towards the forsaken part of the galaxy the Hynerians called point of crossing. Its name was with a good reason, it abounded wormholes, mysterious planet mass appearances, inverse gravitational pull, center halos where even time stopped to exist; it was like the other end of a black hole, nothing obeyed any laws of physics – all the more reasons no Hynerian flied there for more than 1000 cycles. And Moya was heading there; to this delirium of space, in form of an oval reel of torment, in hopes John could find a way to get to Earth through a wormhole.

Locked in an empty, humiliating cell in his own home, once again Loki stood in front of the glass. This time was different, the one person that wanted him alive was gone – Friga his mother, the one who taught him everything he knew about magic and sorcery. This time his rage tightened his jaw, spewing out from the green eyes in to the cell across him, lavishing the strange woman who put him back where Odin forsaken him. She could feel the intensity of his rage, to her he was a delicacy of a man, staring rage fully at her posture, and the way the blood red dress mapped her figure.

Her spirit was more than intrigued, after his fingers plunged on her skin in a sadistic manner, in his attempt to kill her, for the first time in her long, wrathful life she experienced desire for another being. He took away the thriving heat she carried constantly in her body, his grasp made her feel as if she was swimming into a cold, frozen ocean. His thoughts pierced through the glass cells right into her mind:

"Whatever you are, you will pay for this humiliation"

The eye contact between the two of them broke, once Cyntrina came close to the glass, closing her eyes and placing her palms over it. Loki watched her spirit strip away from the body, in front of his curious green eyes, vaporizing through the gloating glass, and materializing again in form of a red haze, leaving the seemingly helpless body in the cell. Suspecting he saw and heard everything she astrally did, the spirit strayed in front of his cell, unable to contain the lure of his essence. Her words amused Loki a great deal, even though she was gloating:

"Now tell me princess, how come you can posses a king, but can't break out of this dump?"

Twirling around the cell, her words fed the ego of the frost giant, while he stood and watched her every move:

"Hmm, interesting features. Posture of arrogance, emanating pride, and impressive force, but what makes you so special, so cold… I never liked the dark ones but you, something about you… I wander if you can see me…"

A voice of annoyance reached her ears, from the lips of the demy God:

"Off course I can, you lecherous snake! Or did you think you, were the only one that could see through my power?!"

Confirming her suspicions, she answered:

"Well, it was worth the try… although I must say, I am impressed … kind off"

He glued to the glass where the tall, translucent red figure stood with her arms crossed, feeding off his anger:

"How dare you take away everything from me? How could you even see…"

"You? Behind the shadow of the two Asgardian giants? Your contempt gives you away"

"And your rage does the same to you"

"Tell me, what was your name? … something ridiculous, but not as ridiculous as Blondie's name…"

"My name is Loki you serpent!"

"No need for insults princess, dial down the wrath, and tell just how bad do you want to kill me?"

"You have the audacity to ask? You, the one who took away my throne?"

"Oh, that. One thing, if your royal, behind wasn't busy being arrogant, and answered one simple question – we wouldn't be here!"

"My arrogance? What of your arrogance, or did you fail to realize, the way you came in my kingdom?"

"Princess, your mind is like an open book to me, I know exactly, which of my words fell hard on that delicate, psyche of yours"

"You… read minds…"

"Give the guy, a medal!"

Squinting his eyes in confusion, Loki couldn't help but burst into wrathful, malicious laughter, as he turned away from the spirit standing in front of his cell. He became king, almost squeezed the life out of Odin, slowly, painstakingly feeling him die inside his own body, and then, just as he was preparing the revealing of his masterpiece, in came a creature that pulled him down by his own arrogance. She was truly deranged, strange sense of humor wrapped in a neat, beautiful package of electric heat.

She enjoyed the frosty jolt his rage gave her, thoughts of her death, floating around the mind of the diamond in the rough she had come across. Emotion so intense, stronger even than a human one, coupled with great lasting quality; a strange assessment occurred in her mind, what would happen if she didn't kill him:

_"If he stays alive, I could get rid of my heat problem permanently … but he's so devious… it would be a shame to eliminate any possibility of tasting this ever again…"_ she wobbled indecisively, on the thought of killing him while his laughter distributed across the hall. Once he stopped, turning at her, as if he knew what she was thinking about he spoke:

"I would not hesitate to kill you, not for a second"

"Uuu, feisty little princess! I know you wouldn't, but you need me"

Her lips curled up in the most horrifying of smiles, eyes wide open, glaring at the angry being mere inches away, on the other side of the gloating glass.

"What possibly for?"

"About 2 or 3 minutes from now, your daddy, will come to fulfill the dept he thinks he has to me. Now, I think you can already guess what your fate is, but this time he'll make it official"

"He, is not, my father! Even if he wants to execute me…"

"What, you think Blondie will save you? No princess, this time it will be real"

"Why should I place my trust, in some brutish, blabbering runt? For all I know, Odin has no duty to you…"

"Oh, he will come, because he has something you, will never know"

"And what is that?"

"Honor…"

The spirit disappeared, just before the prison doors opened, joining the body captured in the cell, leaving Loki to struggle with the outcome of his fate, staring into the abyss of darkness in the eyes of the woman. Could it be? Well, she was right about Odin wanting to kill him, but Thor? If they did decide to execute him, could she actually, break out of the Asgardian prison? Even if she could, how could he manipulate into taking him out too? She wouldn't last long, under Thor's hammer or the Asgardians, he could use that…

While the wheels were turning into Loki's head, Cyntrina caught a glimpse of the true Asgardian king – standing before her very eyes, a one eyed Asgardian giant heavily guarded, leather and metal covering his chest and a long, red cape dragging behind him, emphasizing the similarity his son bared with him. In an attempt to give some value to his presence, and piss Loki even more, she bowed, noticing Loki's eyes catching fire, to the sight of her, showing respect to the king, something she didn't do before him:

"Your majesty…"

Knowing she didn't do it out of respect, but because of some perverted game, spewing from her look Odin answered:

"Now you bow…"

"I am, in the presence of the real king"

"What quest have you in my kingdom?"

"A question, only the king can answer" lifting her posture, she continued:

"Does your race guard Earth?"

"My son could have answered that, there is something else, is there not?"

"A human, one that opened a door, to a different universe, my universe"

"What of him?"

"Earth has lost any memory of him; humans, have no idea where or who he is"

"I see…"

The king turned away from the cell, his face deepened in secrecy, knowing that was an answer he couldn't give, and just as he was about to leave, her voice changed from seemingly respectful to sinister, malignant yelling:

"You can't give me an answer because of your appreciation of human life, or because of your own ignorance?"

Thor, standing behind his father, was intrigued by her words:

"Father, what ignorance is she speaking of?"

Avoiding an answer, the king mumbled:

"Venomous words, of a mindless creature…"

Cyntrina, pressuring for answers:

"Go ahead; tell your son, what humiliation one human brought you"

Words that captured the attention of every single person standing near the king, Thor, the guards, even Loki was intrigued, when Odin asked his son to leave the room with the guards. Without question, they obeyed his order, leaving the old king alone, between Loki and Cyntrina:

"Good call, I see the future king has no idea, what secrets lay behind the throne" daunting Loki with his own resentment, she continued.

Odin: "Those secrets saved my life, what right have you, to dare and bring any of them to light?"

Cyntrina: "I only want one, did you take away the knowledge he brought to your universe from the humans?"

Odin: "Why do you want to know?"

Cyntrina: "Why do you care?"

Odin: "It is my duty, to guard the nine realms of my universe"

Cyntrina: "If you don't give me an answer, I will make it my duty, to watch your precious realms burn down to the ground!"

His lack of confirmation, both verbal and telepathic enraged her

Odin: "Why do I feel you will try to do that, even if I give you an answer?"

Cyntrina, avoiding the question, begun invoking the thoughts of fear and humiliation she sensed before:

"You did it… you couldn't have a tear leading elsewhere, not one made by a pathetic, inferior human! Did that, terrify and humiliate you, that notion, or the one of other, unknown, and potentially dangerous races invading your space?"

Burning eyes in violent, uncontrollable anger, as the words flew out of her lips, hitting a nerve in the old king:

Odin: "Pray to your Gods, young creature, your epitaph is in its making"

Cyntrina: "I wouldn't be so sure of that, oh wise king!"

Odin: "You doubt my conviction?"

Cyntrina: "Far from it, I know what fate you, think awaits me but I, have different plans"

Odin: "You, along with this traitorous miss create, will be executed before dawn"

Cyntrina:"You actually say that as if you mean it, muffling the real state of your heart, deep beneath the iron, it's eating you like cancer, pain, guilt, anger"

Odin: "You know nothing of my thoughts, even if you are able to hear them…"

Cyntrina, delicately caressing the glass and lowering the voice, putting on a performance for Loki, following her every word anxiously, enjoying the way she daunted Odin:

"Oh, but I have seen it so many times before… kingdoms of great lengths, with full range of monarchs, soft, strong, weak, powerful... struggling to keep secrets from their subjects, until one eludes their grasp, causing riots and costing them everything. You can't even hold your sons under a leash, how do you think the other realms, you covet under your power will feel, if they knew the all powerful Odin, mingled his fingers in the collective memory of a planet?"

Odin, keeping a steal posture, struggling not to react to the menacing rant, threatened the creature through his clenched teeth:

"Your threats will bring you your doom, you overwrought leech"

"Yours, just gave me the answer I was looking for"

Backing away from the glass, she left the king to stew in his own rage. She didn't like the taste of his soul, it was warm and worn out, nothing like the frosty, vibrant son in the cell across her, admiring her manipulative skills, feasting on the sight of fear in Odin's eye, as he turned to leave, his step felt like lava was burning under his feet, until the colossal door slammed behind him. Cyntrina and Loki were alone again, rigidly glaring at each other, until he broke the silence shrouding them:

"Not many have had that effect on him…"

Slightly nodding her head, an eyebrow lifting slowly:

"Well, I guess I'm special"

He had recognized her true value, what she knew could bring him power, all it took, were a few well guarded secrets of the king, to send every single one of the realms into complete chaos. Wanting to disguise his thoughts, he appealed to her vanity:

"What is the name of the one that made Odin quiver?"

Seeing the picture of him, ruling over the nine realms, she accepted the invitation:

"Cyntrina. That's the name you, think will help you fulfill your puny delusions of grandeur"

"You call my goal puny? What of your goal – one human, that is the reason you stripped Odin of his dignity?"

"Princess, I have no intention of explaining my goals and reasons to you."

He stood watching, as she ripped out one ruby from the necklace dangling from her neck, and threw it on the floor, causing another Cyntrina to appear before her, a hologram but very convincing one, mimicking her posture, the movements she made, even the ravenous look in her eyes. The real Cyntrina vaporized in form of a red haze, morphing out of her cell, before the hungry eyes of the frost giant. She broke out and now, seeing him so close, but this time with her corporeal eyes, she sunk in to the dilemma whether to leave him for dead, or indulge in his presence once more. Something broke down inside the dark pit of hate, before the magnificent man summoning her with desire, a strong almost filthy pull of lust made her weak in the knees. He could recognize that feeling, even tough every single atom of her being tried to hide it, suppress it. He fed her his desires, combined with the ones of her spirit, and rapidly heating body, he was almost certain she would set him free…

But instead of pulling the hand touching the glass right where her palm rested, she pushed him back, slamming him into the neighboring wall, and parting towards the exit:

"Nice try! Manipulate, me? Princess you are cute, but not that cute"

"That won't work on me either!"

Noticing her attempt to tame his ego, he lifted his head up, and made a solid point, while her back went further away from his cell:

"How will you get back to Earth? Because obviously, that little trick doesn't work without knowing where to go"

The dark hair swung away from her naked back, her profile turned to the desperate attempt of the frost giant to flee:

"I was thinking on fetching another ride on Blondie's back"

"Thor, will never let you near him …"

"I tamed him once, I can do it again"

"Alright, say you get to Earth, you wouldn't last long, if your demise becomes known"

"What makes you think I'll hide from the humans?"

"Who said anything about the humans? You have managed to make an enemy unknown to you; the Asgardians will pursue, and quite possibly kill you before you get your chance to find your human"

"And you can contribute to my cause, how?"

"Let's just say, I know my way around, just as I imagine the human you seek, is due to arrive on Earth?"

"Why would I risk letting you out, when I know you too, have an interest in killing me? Or did your grudge somehow disappear?"

"Oh no, it's still here, but I would much rather take my chances with you, than stay here and face certain death"

"Good point, but you see, trust is something I never got the hang of"

"I do not ask of you to trust me, I merely want you to mend what you destroyed"

"I'm not in a mending mood, besides, you are the one that sat on a throne that didn't suit you"

"Your insults will bear no fruit, when Thor kills you"

"Fine, but know that you too, have your life to lose"

"I would have it no other way"

"You might want to move back a little"

She warned him, spreading her arms, and releasing two neon green whips from each palm, she stood gloriously before Loki's eyes; green light lavishing the blood red color of her dress, as the whips flew above her head while she was empowering her swing, until she finally hit the glass from his cell.

A furious noise of the two whips, hitting the glass broke out in the split second the glass stood still, but a moment later thousands of tiny pieces of glass rained down in front of the two beings, as they stared at each other in between the sparkling glass. Loki was once again free, the hand that put him away, now restored his freedom, but she had no idea who she was dealing with, the God of mischief, master of deception and manipulation. He watched her retreat the whips into the leather gloves, questions poured in his mind going around like a carousel confusing his own sanity, he knew she was listening so he had to be careful, but instead of hiding his thoughts he made a flood of them in his devious mind. Cyntrina acted uninterested, in spite of her curiosity rampaging uncontrollably in her head, thinking to herself:

_"Don't, he's trying to lure you in"_

She watched him get close and stand right in front of her, a tall dark man, forged in scent of secrecy, looking down in her eyes mere inches away. The fragrance of incense from her presence brought intrigue in his mind too, seeing her from up close she was even more beautiful. The brief stare off got interrupted by her voice:

"Now, what are you going to do for me?"

A subtle smile on his face while he answered:

"For now, not kill you"

"Princess, drop it already"

"Although I must admit, seeing you with so little hostility … you are not that menacing"

"Don't let this vessel fool you; my powers reside in my spirit, far from your domain"

"I like my domain"

"Well, let's see how you like mine!"

Clutching her teeth to stop herself from falling helpless under her body's desire for the cold, she put his arms around her waist and commanded him:

"Think humans!"

"I'm beginning to like it already"

A devious smile, accompanied by suggestive voice from his dry lips reeling Cyntrina in with every word, he savored the effect he had on her, but the reality of the electric storm burning inside her was beyond his comprehension. Her lust quenching against reason and better judgment doubled in size, once she felt Loki's reaction to her waist, it was like a fuse to a bomb she struggled to use as fuel to get to Earth. She never let anything show on the heated surface of the body, for more than 500 years but now, her eyes spilled a sip of what she felt against her will of steal. She managed to put a few words together, using the last efforts of self control:

"Princes … don't make me change my mind…"

"Are you planning on pulling yourself together?"

He asked, as if he knew about the thunder of lust he caused in her dark, long thought for dead heart, bringing an acidic sensation to her stomach, that disappeared to the sight of her hologram:

_ "He knows … oh, the hologram" _

She thought before she answered:

"I already did, that's a decoy. Oh, and no you don't get a decoy because this way, they'll be looking for you, not me"

"Typical"

A flicker in her long, dark hair, to the sudden pull from Loki's arm, she squeezed his shoulder, clawing her nails into the leather of his sleeve as he took her even closer to him, almost causing a sigh on her part. He took her palm into his, and just before she unleashed the red mist, thus entering the incorporeal realm, his words bounced off the walls of the hall between the cells:

"This is going to be interesting…"

They plunged in the Asgardian sky, two complementing spirits mingling into one, single mass. Frosty but boiling, blue but red swirling, and twisting in and out of shape while Loki led and she followed. They both acted with mistrust, the thought of him not taking her to Earth was constantly leaning over her, while the possibility of her suffocating his spirit, never left his mind.

Unknowingly diving into each other's souls, showing what had to remain hidden – Loki learned of her allies, the three races coming after Earth, while she saw, once and for all what made him special – his race, a frost giant raised under the Asgardian sun.

While the two spirits fought for domination on their way to Earth, Fury's deep voice, shrouded in conviction took over the command room on the Helicarrier once Doctor Banner and Captain Rodgers arrived:

"We have a situation…"

"I can't believe this; you people really need to stop spying on us"

Doctor Banner, slightly annoyed commented his dissatisfaction.

"No, seriously guys, you wouldn't be here if it weren't necessary"

Tony, tried to calm the rising tension.

"What I'm trying to say is, there is a threat we are unable to estimate, let alone neutralize"

Fury continued, spreading his arms towards the confused captain and doctor.

"A vessel crashed last night near Lake Ontario, an alien inside it somehow managed to kill two boys, and when we arrived on the scene her ship disintegrated right before our noses"

Agent Coulson begun briefing, pulling up the footage of their first, and last contacts with the alien.

"She claimed her interest is solely one human, and here's what happened when we brought the subject here"

They all stood in aw, while the footage of Cyntrina pulling two dimensions into a joined one played on the screen. Strange alien/humanoid creatures poured into their eyes, accompanied by the trembling voice of the one human she was after, John Crichton.

"You missed this part; it was epic, 3D version of some kind of ship, right in the middle of this room"

Tony's enthusiasm to the whole situation was hard to miss, even though Doctor Banner's and the Captain's attention was totally devoted to the events on the screen. Dazzled and confused the Doctor managed to whip up a question:

"That's … a human?"

"We believe it's a lost astronaut" Coulson answered with uncertainty.

"What… where… is that?" Captain Rodgers' finger remained frozen, pointing towards the footage

"From what she said, we gather our human is in another universe, on some kind of ship full of other life forms"

Agent Romanov answered the captain's questions

Captain Rodgers: "She left with Thor?"

Fury: "Yes, but she has escaped once, we have to assume she'll be back"

Banner: "So you want us to do, what exactly?"

Fury: "I want you, and Stark to look at the test results from the soil samples of the scene"

Barton: "The captain, I and Romanov are on guard duty"

Fury: "Stark, have your suit close, just in case you …"

Tony: "You really thought I didn't bring it?"

Fury: "Good, review the footage my agents will bring you the results"

Banner: "I still don't understand, why do you need me?"

Fury: "Tell me doctor, if a vessel traveled fast, but below the speed of light, there would be some kind of, nuclear residue all over it, wouldn't it?"

Banner: "Yes, why?"

Fury: "Because we didn't find any, radioactive residue on the site, not even when the ship was still there"

Banner: "I don't see how that would be possible, unless…"

Stark caught up to his thought:

"Unless she traveled faster than light"

Banner:"Give me the schematics of the ship, I want to see its shape"

Stark quickly pulled up the footage from the morning they got there, and listened to the same conclusion he had, once he saw it up close:

Banner: "Something's not right; the metal seems to have too many disruptions and the shape… why would anybody, travel in that kind of ship, it's too unstable"

Tony: "I know right, you should have seen the metal, it was too thin, and it seemed to have no detectable power source"

Banner: "Or at least none that we can detect… show me the other footage again, the one from the landing"

Tony:"You don't think …"

Banner: "It's the only thing that makes sense, no power source, no radiation residue…"

Tony: "Skin – like metal surface…"

Banner:"Gas like molecules, scrambling on impact…"

Natasha: "Can someone finish a sentence for a change?"

Banner:"The only way, a ship like that could get here, is if it traveled faster than light, using dark matter as a power source"

Captain Rodgers: "And that means what exactly?"

Tony: "Picture it like this; this vessel in theory, is capable of outrunning the gravitational pull of a black hole"

Banner: "And we'll be scratching our heads for a long time after this"

Stark: "How would she survive time?"

Fury: "God damn it, we need that astronaut!"

Fury's words shuffled thoughts of agreement in their minds, and only one person dared to ask the unthinkable:

Barton:"You think he'll come?"

Romanov:"I know I would…"

While the humans were grasping at straws, scrambling around the command room of the Helicarrier, Odin stood in front of the all seeing creature guarding the rainbow bridge. The reflection of the face shrouded in secrecy, in the golden shield of Heimdall puzzled Thor, standing behind his father; his voice invoked a spark of shame in Odin's eye:

"Father, what was that creature talking about?"

"Nothing, that should concern you"

The king's defensive voice, made Thor's face shrivel even more in confusion:

"What humiliation could possibly, one human bring you?"

Heimdall cut the king's breath, just as he was preparing an answer:

"My lord I see a vessel… small … unknown to me, one human and five other species"

Ignoring his son's question, the king turned fiercely toward Heimdall, ordering him to snatch the vessel through the portal:

"Bring it here; it must be the forsaken human"

Thor, even more confused than before, didn't dare asking his father why he wanted the human there. He only gripped his Mjölnir, not knowing what was coming from the other side …


	7. The witch and the frost giant

John, Aeryn, Chiana, Sikozu, D'Argo and Stark had just entered a proto wormhole in the midst of the Hynerian forsaken space. They were traveling in a Luxan ship D'Argo got from his son, a diamond shaped new generation war ship with impenetrable reflective shielding, and the fire capacity of leveling a small planet. John was commandeering it, since he still had the knowledge of wormhole travel within him, his palm sweating on the hard gear while his body pressed against the seat, once a strange pull stripped his control over the ship:

"D'Argo, what is going on?"

The Luxan, although confused a predictable assumption came across his mind:

"I knew I shouldn't have let you steer, you broke orbit"

"No, I didn't break anything! We are still in the wormhole but…"

Leaping to a conclusion, Sikozu's voice took over the confined space, inside the vessel where everyone's nerves begun spiking:

"We are being pulled by something"

Chiana, refusing to believe Sikozu's outrageous conclusion:

"No frelling way psycho, who would do such a…"

Aeryn, seeing a crystal clear picture of a portal, forming in the wall of the wormhole answered her question:

"Whoever it is, that may have something to do with it…"

John, sensing no control over the vessel turned to his friends:

"Well, that's just great, a crazy woman threatening Earth and we get snatched right before the frelling front door…"

The tear in the wormhole swallowed the Luxan vessel, causing it to stretch through the blue fabric of the universe they were into, only to reappear gradually in a different, unknown place before some strange planet none of them had ever seen before.

A red, diamond shaped vessel emerged from the peak of the bifrost, under the power of the mighty Heimdall, before the eyes of the king and his son, both staring at the not so small ship, flickering and rumbling from the pressure of being pulled out violently from the wormhole. Thoughts of guilt resided in Odin's mind, while his steady face watched the ship slam, and slide uncontrollably on the bridge. Did he do the right thing? What if the human carries even a bigger threat? Questions he chose to avoid answering, whatever this John was bringing to his kingdom, it couldn't be worse than the witch who saw a secret he had been keeping for so long.

Once the movement died down, the panic inside the ship begun rising, to the sight of the garrison of warriors surrounding them in a blink of an eye:

John: "Wow, that's new…"

Aeryn: "John, this does not resemble Earth! Where the frell are we?"

John: "I have no god damned idea!"

D'Argo: "We have a lot of company"

Chiana: "Crichton, you sure you still got the knowledge for wormhole travel?"

Sikozu: "Chiana, not getting to Earth is the least of our problems, look at what's happening outside!"

Chiana: "Frell! Crichton, get us out of here!"

John: "I would if I could. Whoever these guys are, they want us to stay"

Aeryn: "You think they targeted us for extraction?"

John: "Why else would they drain all power?"

D'Argo: "What? How?"

John: "I don't know D, but all systems are offline …"

Sikozu: "I think they want us to get out …"

Chiana: "Obviously"

John: "Grab your weapons people, let's go and say hi"

D'Argo: "John, what if they fire at us?"

John: "Then, we die two days faster than humanity"

Aeryn: "Are we taking Stark with us?"

John: "He's got one eye but two arms; it's six of us, and 30 of them"

Aeryn: "Good point"

Sikozu: "I suggest we get moving, they seem to grow impatient"

Chiana: "One place, one blue little planet keeps causing us dren in every part of the universe we place a foot into"

The six aliens slowly descended the stairs of the ship, causing confusion and wandering amongst the Asgardians anticipating them. Leading them was a human, a being considered to have somewhat limited abilities, and yet here he was, in their kingdom bringing five other life forms unknown to them. He squeezed the two guns in his palms with every step he took, until his walk stopped in front of the ship. Standing still, with his face glaring at the grizzled man with a posture that poured even more fear in his gut, John's senses strained from the anticipation of waiting his friends' shoes to thump behind him. Behind the human came a woman, strong, a soldier. The long black braid finally rested on her back as she stood next to John, confusing the Asgardians with her physiology similar to a human but somehow, with a different, more subtle scent.

Next came down a beast, exuding his manly chest smeared in bronze color, a brown beard shrouding the face dominated by a large nose, but what really caught the attention of every single Asgardian looking at him, besides the antique weapon, were the tentacles tangled between his hair, dangling on the back of the beast. Bashfully behind him, two females emerged. Different like the sun and the moon – one of them sensually carrying the color gray on her skin, while the other was lavished in reddish scales complementing the fiery curly hair. Last came out a lunatic with a leather mask covering half of his face, fearfully hiding behind the beast.

They all stood menacingly staring at each other, clinging to their weapons just waiting for a reason to fire, the Asgardians waited for orders, where as the six aliens focused on the soldiers outnumbering them, looking for a way to get out of the circle of certain death. Odin's voice broke the tension, as he spoke to the aliens:

"You might be wandering what it is that you are doing here, or if death dwells upon your future…"

Looking in the eye of the king, a tense voice came out of John's throat:

"Does it? You are not exactly throwing flowers at us, not to mention the way we got here"

Lifting his arm, Odin commandeered his warriors to stand down and continued:

"I am Odin, king of Asgard. My interest in your presence is not volatile, I can assure you"

Still gripping to their guns, even after the sign of good faith the king gave them, the aliens didn't flinch, until a spark of curiosity in John's voice softened their thoughts, since he seemed to recognize the names the king pronounced:

John: "Wait, Odin? Asgard? Norse mythology?"

Odin: "I see you have heard of our kind"

John: "High school, I sucked at foreign literature. Why are we here?"

Odin: "My men are not armed, I refuse to converse before an end of a gun"

John: "D, Aeryn, Chi, Sputnik, put them down…"

Just as the aliens put down their guns, an Asgardian approached Odin, letting him know Loki, had somehow escaped from his cell. This provoked a fierce reaction in the king's posture:

Odin: "Find him! Wait; is she still in her cell?"

The Asgardian: "Yes my lord"

Odin, gathering his thoughts turned to the aliens, standing unarmed but still in distrust:

Odin: "There is someone interested in your death"

D'Argo: "You brought her here?"

Thor: "She found her way …"

Aeryn: "We want to see her"

Odin: "You will, but not before you answer to me"

D'Argo sensing the hostility of the king's tone, turned to his friend for answers, causing everyone to form a circle around the human, as the muffled voice came out of his lips:

D'Argo: "John, who is this man and why are we here?"

Still staring at Odin, John answered:

John: "He's a king of a race that protects Earth or something I'm not sure but humans think of him as God"

Sikozu: "You don't know of your own mythology?"

John: "You think we have only one mythology?!"

Chiana: "Psycho put a lid on it; I don't think he'll kill us"

Aeryn: "For now, but what happens if we tell him everything he wants to know?"

D'Argo: "He'll be left with a threat beyond his comprehension, menacing Earth and possibly his kingdom"

John: "Guys, the only way we are getting to Cyntrina is through this guy! He wouldn't be considered a God on Earth if he was powerless; I remember something about his son Thor god of thunder …"

Sikozu: "You give too much credit to your race"

John: "Says the Scarran slave"

Aeryn: "John, focus what do we do? Attack, talk, surrender?"

John: "First we talk; I want to know why he brought us here"

Stark's terrified eye watched the tense conversation between the king, and what appeared to be his son, while his ear registered everything his friends said. He was the only one the Asgardians didn't register as a threat, because of the way his body shriveled before their weapons. Little did they know, the guns weren't what scared him, it was the intensity of the hate Cyntrina left behind, that squeezed his heart like a Luxan fist. A subtle pull, made him lose focus of her leftovers, and turn to the circle of his friends, finally conquered by the need to share his sensations:

Stark: "She won't stop with us, they have to kill her"

John: "Yo Astro, my head is already in a haze I can't take any more mysticism, explain yourself"

Stark: "She is leaking anger, hate … the intensity is too strong"

D'Argo: "Stark, speak slowly and explain"

Stark: "Hate accumulated for more than 500 years, riding a wave of fury too strong to be tamed!"

Aeryn: "That means what, exactly?"

Stark: "Can't you feel it? She wants more than our heads, she wants our suffering!"

John: "What, she'll enslave Earth anyway?"

Stark: "I have to get close to her to know for sure"

John: "Right, talk it is, just don't make any sudden moves, we are in enough guano as it is, don't wanna make the "Gods" flip on us too"

They broke the circle of whispers, and finally the honorable voice of the Luxan warrior revealed their decision to the Asgardians, crossing the arms defensively:

D'Argo: "What do you want to know?"

Odin, satisfied they consented, turned to the human:

Odin: "More than 14 years ago you opened a door, how?"

Knowing where the conversation led, John's head turned away from the king:

John: "Oh come on, wormholes again?"

His focus quickly returned to the thought of Cyntrina, and he continued through a sigh:

John: "OK, it was an experiment that went wrong, a radiation wave hit my module, and I got shot in some distant part of the universe"

Odin's voice stopped John from finishing the sentence:

Odin: "No, not a distant part of this universe… you went further"

Squinted eyes in confusion, and a slight lowering in the tone of John's voice, confused his friends:

John: "What do you mean further?"

Odin: "My guardian could no longer see you; the only thing left of you, was the portal you tore with your parting"

John: "Are you saying I went to a different…" John shuddered, unable to finish the sentence.

Odin's temper spiked to the human's ignorance:

Odin: "You went to a different universe, human!"

John, recollecting Scorpius, the Peacekeepers, the Scarrans, everyone who threatened his home planet, never knew where Earth was, his fears were in vain nobody had the slightest clue where Earth was:

John: "All this time… all the threats against Earth… none of them were real…"

Odin's jaw tightened to his words:

Odin: "What do you mean threats?"

John, noticing he spoke too much, tried to calm the ball:

Jon: "Never mind, it's all dealt with, no one is dumb enough to go after Earth again"

Odin: "No, it is anything but dealt with! A certain creature, mounted the back of my son and intruded my kingdom"

Thor's voice continued the sentence, once he saw anger consuming his father's:

Thor: "She did all that, in the cause of finding you, all of you!"

John, taking a step toward Thor his fingers clenched into a strong fist, followed by a defensive yet confused tone:

John: "We already know that, you don't have to rub it in! One thing I don't know, is how the hell did your king know about the wormhole?"

Odin, vigorously turning to the human:

Odin: "It is my duty to ensure the piece, and safety in this universe! Something you, pathetic, unworthy creature have disrupted!"

D'Argo: "Well, why did you not close the portal then? Because, to me this sounds like you acted as an incompetent bystander!"

Thor's curious eyes turned to his father, interested in the answer; he barely made out a word:

"Father?"

Odin, faced with the fear of humiliation, rose up a mask of pride on his face, retaining a steal posture he answered:

Odin: "Insult me again, and you will witness my competence!"

Seeing how the situation heated rather quickly, a voice of reason broke the tension between the testosterone on the bridge:

Sikozu: "John, D'Argo and wise king, I call upon our mutual goal – to stop a dangerous being from destroying a planet. Your home planet John, and a fraction of Your kingdom, Your majesty."

John: "I am sorry if we offended you, but this situation is getting more and more complicated by the second. I know you may think you can stop her, but trust me when I say she is out of your league"

Odin: "You humans think of yourselves to be special, superior … you are not! You are nothing, but another ring in the chain of creation, under evolved and weak! How you managed to survive so far in another universe, always eluded my mind"

John, swallowing the venomous compliment, knowing the clock was ticking replied:

John: "Against all odds, with a had full of escaped prisoners. What else do you want to know?"

Odin: "After her execution, why should I let you live?"

John: "If you have been spying on me all along, you should know"

Odin: "That is the issue, this is the first time I am seeing you, after you mended what you did"

John: "So, you have no idea what I've done?"

Odin: "No, neither does your race"

John: "My race?"

Odin: "You gave your race pulse guns, and insight into space travel, that could have brought harm to mine"

Aeryn, seeing how this notion mesmerized her husband, asked the question on their minds:

Aeryn: "You did something, to Earth?"

Odin: "I did what I thought necessary to protect the peace"

A thought occurred in Thor's mind, one he hoped desperately wasn't true, but doubt got the better of him and a question flew from his lips:

Thor: "Father, did you mingle into the collective memory of Earth?"

Odin: "You wouldn't understand, you consider humans honorable, noble even. But I knew, as soon as he closed the loop, what had to be done."

Sikozu: "You altered their memory?"

D'Argo: "Does that mean they don't remember our last visit?"

Aeryn: "How did you..."

Odin glared at the way confusion eluded John's face, turning into a realization he was right:

John: "You did the right thing"

Aeryn: "But John, your father doesn't remember…"

John: "It was a mistake going back to Earth Aeryn, an accident"

Chiana, frustrated by the arrogant uplift the old king took against them, finally spoke her mind:

Chiana: "That doesn't give him the right to wipe you off the memory of your people!"

John: "Pip, I would have done that myself, if I knew how."

Sikozu: "We all know of the hypocrisy of you race"

Odin: "I see you have honor, what about will to share the knowledge you gained?"

John: "I will tell you everything you want to know, just let me see her"

Odin: "Very well. But know this, if the prices of getting her off my kingdom are your heads, I will not hesitate to serve them on a platter"

Aeryn: "Fair enough"

Carefully approaching closer to the king, his son and his guards, John, Aeryn, Chiana, Sikozu, D'Argo and Stark were finally on their way to the Asgardian prison, where Cyntrina was supposedly trapped behind a cell. Halls of grand dimensions adding to the intimidation of the six newcomers, scent of power filling their nostrils, as they walked the halls of the royal palace, slowly disappearing once they reached the lower tiers. Here, struck by the odor of anger from the surrounding cells, the eye of the Banic slave froze in terror, once they stopped in front of the glass where Cyntrina stood waiting, with her back facing the glass before them.

Stark: "Something's not right"

Aeryn: "How?"

Stark: "She feels incomplete, shallow even…"

John, seeing the feral look in the obscure eyes of the woman, turning her body and causing a wave of Bennigan Fire Silk curl behind her legs, once again demonstrated a naïve thought characteristic for a human:

John: "I don't know Stark, she seems real to me…"

Stark took a profound gaze, in an attempt to learn more about the deeply tormented soul in the cage, raising the anticipation of everyone watching, as he undid the strap of his mask around his neck. Light of gold pierced the glass, bathing the face of the prisoner, morphing into an evil smile, as the pixels slowly begun disintegrating until she was gone.

Chiana: "Frell, where'd she go?"

John: "Stark, what just happened?"

Aeryn, noticing how stiff the Stykera was in his posture, frozen by fear, she gently placed her steady palm over his shoulder. The slight squeeze seemed to cause a reaction in his body and mind, accompanied by the words:

"Stark, tell us what you see"

Whispers, escalating into ranting screams, came out of the Stykera, shocking the Asgardians while his friends tried calming him:

Stark: "So much death… I should have buried you… thirst for vengeance…"

D'Argo, grabbing the panicky Stykera with the strong Luxan arms, and looking into his eye: "Stark, calm down! We need to know what happened!"

John always had an ability to make Stark focus, determined to use it he stood before the shriveling Stykera and asked of him:

John: "Stark, Stark look at me! Deep breaths, dial down the freak factor!"

Finally, a drop of reason extinguished the fire of insanity Cyntrina's hologram caused in his mind. He found the strength to put a few sentences together:

"She's gone… it was a mask, a hologram disguising her escape… the legends, stories of a little girl, destroyer of races were true… she wants more, she hates more…"

Sikozu: "Stark, you are still rambling, speak clearly!"

Stark: "Don't you understand? She will not stop with Earth; she wants our suffering… mine, John's, Aeryn's, D'Argo's…"

Tired from the cloud of confusion around the newcomers, the king demanded, pressured them for answers:

Odin: "For the sake of your lives, I expect to hear all you know of this eluding creature"

The story of how one innocent soul, got poisoned by hatred so many years ago, finally unraveled between the walls of the Asgardian prison. The Luxan's voice reeled them in a universe of cruelty, where Cyntrina was molded, starting with them and finishing with her current destination.

A destination she struggled to reach, the carnal cravings were gone during her travel with the frost giant, but she faced other complications. Loki stranded in to her thoughts, learning things she didn't want to give away like her allies, the extent of her powers and her memories, of the races she destroyed, of her mother. He was cruel in the fight for domination; although incorporeal, she could feel actual pain, and he knew exactly what to grab a hold of – the one memory that hurt her the most, even after all those years.

He started with this painful memory, setting the scene in their joined consciousness, she found herself suppressed against the clay surface of her home, she could even smell its moist scent, adding to the excellent illusion he pulled out of her memory. Loki's boot pushing her back forcefully, his arms crossed, while he watched Nurse Kelsa scream her last words, just before the arrow from the surrounding Venek horde pierced her racing heart. Enjoying the subdued spirit of the woman he knew nothing about, his sadistic urges played the experience back and forward, causing her pain in the soul, making her turn away from the gruesome beginnings of her suffering. A subtle smile on his face, as he savored the pain he caused, accompanied by words that just rubbed salt into her wound:

"Who would have thought, a human contributed in the death of mommy"

Surprised by the cunning frost giant and his instincts, her voice barely made out a sentence from under him:

"How did you… this is not possible, you can't do this to me!?"

"Yes I can, this and much more! You wanted me, now you've got me! Or did you think I would comply under your wrath?"

Humiliated, beneath a creature that somehow, found the well of pain residing in her soul; she let out a cry, knowing her weakness would make him overconfident:

"Stop this atrocity, Loki!"

"So, you do know my name?"

A voice of rage, soaked in contempt filled her ears, as he turned her over with a swing of his hand. She used the split second when his grip loosened; slipping away from under him, and destroying the mirage he created just by spreading her arms:

"Two can play this game, princess! Let's see, what are you, desperately hiding from me?"

Cyntrina spoke, while she painted a canvas of all things that bothered, scarred and terrified him; she made a trap of heat around the frost giant, using only her rage, she used her hate to shroud him in the darkness of his birth planet, and her carnal, electric desire, hit him like a thunder causing a brief thought of death in his mind. Amused, by the way his overconfidence morphed into annoyance and than pure, paralyzing fear, frowning his face and shriveling his body, she couldn't help but take in a drop of his terror:

"You do have a nose for pain, I'll give you that! Now, give me your nightmares!"

Ruling over him, her spirit choked Loki's, with her legs squeezing around his waist. He could feel the cold, cruel surface of Jotunheim, melting under the heat he was shrouded in, suffocating him, making it hard to breathe, let alone move. Cyntrina, on the other hand floated in bliss, releasing her anger, while feeding on Loki's fear. Her torso straightened to the icy wind that gradually distributed her hair over her left shoulder. For a fraction of a second, the could got too much of a temptation; the incessant shudders of the frost giant beneath her, the cold breeze caressing her essence, enchanted the heated core of her existence, and she gave in, lifting her head, and squeezing Loki even tighter.

A sigh, gave away her short moment of weakness, just what he was waiting for, Loki grabbed the long locks of darkness from the hair of the boiling witch on top of him, twisting them around his hand and pulling her closer. He startled her with his move, using her bewilderment, to take her back to a place she left 500 years ago. Sifting through her memories, he found the one, and only fear this demon had, and took her to the place where she first desired to die, and leave her body behind: the dark cave where she hid from the Venek horde.

A crafty illusion, depicting the cold, dark night when a little girl phished for her death; Loki hit her with the fear from her own body, that now laid over the frost giant, clutching her neck with his arm and whispering in her ear:

"Tell me, witch, what is the reason behind your fear of being corporeal?"

With Loki's intrusive essence surrounding her spirit, she decided not to lead him to her weakness, griping to the leather covering his arm, desperately trying to break free:

"Go ahead, kill me … you didn't have to pull this memory, to prove your point!"

"And what point would that be?"

He daunted the mind of the beautiful woman resting on his chest, struggling forcefully to escape, and not let him see through her:

"Stupidity doesn't suit you. I know what you are getting at!"

Hoping he would stop pushing, she focused on his thoughts of killing her. But Loki's sharp mind saw right through her attempt for manipulation, reveling her weakness:

"You are still but a young girl, 500 years of age, with little experience in matters of the body. Your dependence of your corporeal self, brings you terror of perishing along with it!"

He had a way of putting things to words that made her eyes widen in terror, she struggled to break free from the hand tightening around her neck, while his other arm proceeded down, towards the chest, moving wildly up and down, relentlessly searching for a way to evade him. She could feel the motion, but not his icy touch, the one good thing from this unity; at least, he couldn't get to her desires in this form. She didn't dare thinking of what he caused in the corporeal realm, retaining her thoughts under control, focusing on finding a way to her freedom.

"Stop digging through my memories!"

A winch, drowning in the terror of her captivity, sharpened the determination of her captor. Loki wasn't giving up; for once in his lifetime, he could actually read the mind of someone, instead of making assumptions, and indirectly manipulating through suggestion. A surprising revelation drew his attention away from closing in on her carnal desires, once his hand passed over the chest covered in jewels and neared her waist. His voice echoed from the walls of the cave:

"No memories of … no one, ever… got so close… to you?"

His hand slowly slid down the leg of the struggling spirit, delicately removing the silk before he could feel the bare, electric essence on his astral fingers. Untouched by other, man or woman for centuries, desired by many, but not even a kiss of innocence resided in the memory of her spirit. This notion stunned and bewildered him, but it also invoked more sinister thoughts, while his hand sunk into Cyntrina's spirit. Thoughts that contradicted one another, he wanted her, but he also desired her death, she destroyed his coup, but somehow she was innocent, a vertigo of intentions resided in his mind, and she heard every, single one of them. She didn't know much about desire, but feeling one hand touching her softly, delicately, with a spark of pleasure, sinking into her, while the other clenched her neck forcefully, reaching for her life, made her linger before she tried to break free. A hesitation, he felt in her defensive voice, filled with arrogance and pride:

"Does that shock you? Did you think I was some king's indelicate whore?"

She used his confusion to destroy the memory he forced upon her. A mistake on Loki's behalf, letting curiosity loosen his focus on his grip. She used it to enter inside the core of his soul, invoking the greatest, deepest secret fear of the frost giant. He watched as the surrounding illusion he created morphed into a familiar setting, one of Midgard undoubtedly, since the scent of Thor's mortal broke his lack of sensations during the incorporeal trip. He could even feel the weight of a body over his spirit, but it wasn't the witch he was choking, he looked away from the changing environment, to find the dead Dr. Foster between his bloody palms holding a dagger. What came next genuinely surprised him, Thor coming at him furiously, enraged, with face smeared in wrath and pain, striking him with thunder fiercely, mercilessly. He could feel death threatening him, daunting every single atom of his spirit, while Cyntrina toyed with his mind, using his terror as fuel to reach her destination.

Finally, the torture they heaved upon each other came to an end, once their physical bodies clashed into the sand of an abandoned beach on Earth. An asteroid of mental energy, distributed the sand in circle waves, leaving too beings inside a shallow hole. Still agile, even after the mild blow from the fall, Cyntrina quickly jumped off Loki's back, removing her arm from under his neck. She looked down, to the creature she used as a source of energy. He amazed her with his abilities, taking down the wail of illusions she put up during their unity, and intruding her mind, struggling to keep her secrets hidden. Now, lying unconscious in the sand, his death was imminent, he had to die, he saw too much, cut deep in her scars of pain and fear. And she never left any loose ends behind, but now, her hand hesitated for a few moments.

Alive, he could be of an excellent use, taking her heat away with nothing but his breath, releasing her, from the hell of heat calming her corporeal self. It felt almost anticlimactic, she didn't feel much resistance from the unconscious frost giant, but then again, every one she ever killed and consumed, never put much of a fight at the end. Not having any second thoughts, she continued sucking up his chilly, vibrant essence; she closed her eyes, and with delight, began satisfying her need for life energy. Inhaling deeply, every single atom of her body and spirit blossomed to the symphony of frost Loki carried in his soul. She felt paradise crashing down on the white shoulders, a hand of bliss touching her forehead, and passing through her hair, just like her mother used to do, when she was young. Her heels sunk deep in the sand, under the pressure of her convulsed body, drinking from the well of life, filling the void in her, giving her power, soaking her body in the cold, until there was nothing left. She drained it all, to the last pulse of his heart. A flash broke out in her mind, as if to let her know it was all over, causing the dark eyes to open, followed by a deviant smile curling her lips. A brief eulogy, dedicated to the frost giant, disturbed the splashing sound of the waves caressing the sandy beach:

"Like never before… maybe, never again… I'm actually going to miss the flare to your, personality … princess. From the bottom of my soul, I thank you for yours"

Wanting to take a last glance at the reminder her of her own mortality, a telekinetic thought occurred in her mind, turning Loki over. She leaned down to the pale, lifeless body. What caught her attention was his face; eyes wide open, with terror spewing out of them, lips slightly parted, reminding her of her mother's expression, right before the Venek horde rendered her lifeless. This thought, drove her palm softly over Loki's face, closing his eyes, the way she should have closed the eyes of her mother, 500 years ago. She moved away from him, entering the vast ocean in form of mist.

A delicate silhouette of a woman's back, gradually fading in the dark water, disturbing the peace of the surface, where the trail of moonlight bended under her vanishing presence. The vast reservoir of cold she stole from Loki, was more than enough to sustain her spirit, and body incorporeal. Now, all she had to do was roam around the planet undetected, in order to know the second her human arrived, and plan the best attack strategy, before she could bring the Triad in this universe.

When she was finally gone, the master of deception threw his mask of death away, lifting his posture off the sand, tumbling down his chest with every breath he took. Face, where his satisfaction for double crossing Cyntrina, bloomed under the vague light of the moon. His eyes could see the marvelous demon, vanishing in the sky, leaving only her aroma behind. Carried by the soft breeze, the deep breath he took abounded a strong, but subtle fragrance of incense, overcoming the salty scent of the sea. The thought of vengeance against her thrilled him, but what brought even more excitement in his heart, was the fact she would never see him coming. He would tame, and then claim the witch that took his birth right, just like she tamed Thor. The thought of him, caused a slight glitch in the eyes, still staring at the distance where Cyntrina vanished. He had to mend what she ruined, and the knowledge he stripped from her spirit, would be more than enough to get him back to his home.

Focusing on his brother, sitting among the grains of sand, he used the telepathic path between them, and found himself standing between a heated argument among Odin and Thor, echoing from the walls of the room, where the throne he once resided in, caused resentment in his eyes. What he was hearing offered a great deal of potential, a way to impose his presence back, where he thought he belonged. Sensing Thor's frustration towards Odin, the pain of betrayal in his mind allowed Loki to manipulate his words, but only to a point:

"What other secrets, dwell beneath the throne, father?"

"Matters you wouldn't understand…"

"Then explain them to me, tell me why you placed wails of ignorance before the eyes of humanity?"

"Why does your judgment strike only at me? Have you not seen the doings of the mortals? How power, distorts reason in their minds?"

Thor: "They are your subjects, they do not deserve…"

Odin: "They have to be bound with ignorance! Otherwise, how will they strive to achieve more?"

Thor: "Their progress was not on your mind, when you took away the knowledge from them! Your concern was only to yourself!"

Odin: "My concern is to my kingdom! That is why I, am ruler of the nine realms!"

Thor: "I now see… Loki's actions resembled the ones he learned from you…"

Odin: "What comparison, out of place…"

Thor: "Is it, father? What right had you to judge him, for taking human lives, when your actions took away something even more valuable?"

Odin: "The knowledge how to open a portal to another universe is not to be commanded by an inferior race, without the necessary wisdom only time can bestow!"

Thor: "I do not deny the insanity of power, which may or may not consume them…"

Odin: "Then you do, understand?"

Thor: "I understand you will not, ever allow any progress on their behalf if you, didn't think of it first!"

Odin: "Son, why must you think ill of my intentions? Look, at what one human has brought from a place we know nothing of! Never before, have I seen so much hate, darkness, wrath even, forged in such determination!"

Thor: "She is just one woman! Why has she invoked so much fear in you?"

Odin: "Fear does not reside among my thoughts! I can see what she hauls behind her! An enemy, unknown to us! A feud, not of our making is knocking on our front door, and one human is the reason many lives will come to an end! Tell me son, how is it righteous to enter a war over a few lives, worthless to us?"

Thor: "Every life has value, you, thought me that… a war can be avoided if they, we, slay this demon"

Odin: "I will allow you, this human and the ones on Earth, an attempt to kill her, but know this; I would rather sacrifice one small planet, than to have a full blown invasion burst in my face!"

Thor: "Your logic is cold and cruel, father! I ask of you only one demand: do not intervene in my choice of allies!"

Odin: "Use whoever you want, but I will not allow you another allegiance with Loki!"

Thor: "Maybe I shall trust the one who I know will betray me, since my faith can no longer be placed in you, father!"

Odin: "He's here isn't he? Filling your mind with lies, causing poisonous doubts in your heart against me!"

Thor: "No, father! Mine are the words that challenge your decisions!"

A fierce look of rage in Odin's eye, followed by a swing of his hand brought Loki back to Asgard. He stood in front of the two men, looking at him with prejudice for his actions, one wanting to kill him, while the other wanting to use him. He knew just what to do, as his reflection in the golden floor slowly turned to Odin, addressing the unusual situation:

Loki: "Isn't this, an unusual turn of events… a king and his son, torn by a strange, confusing being, whose secrets are only beginning to unravel…"

Odin: "What would you know; your interests reside along her side…"

Loki: "Perspective of the one person, whose gratitude she deserves!"

Odin: "I can recognize ill intentions, unlike the one person here that values your life!"

Loki: "Well then, I guess your choice of a would be king was wrong!"

Thor: "Cease your insults Loki! I believe you to be valuable, but that can easily change!"

Odin: "He has no value; his life was to come to an end, until the allegiance with that filthy…"

The old king's face distorted in rage, his voice roamed between the walls, but before he could finish his sentence, Loki once again intruded, bringing a valuable argument to light:

Loki: "There was nothing from that kind! My escape was her doing, not my choice! She used me to get to Earth, in the same manner she used Thor to get here!"

Odin: "And why am I to trust you, a traitor to the crown?"

Thor: "Why did she not kill you?"

Loki, with a devious smile taking over his face, and a posture of pride answered the questions Odin and Thor bombarded him with, keeping a calm tone:

"She did kill me, well, more or less. The reason I still live, is the knowledge to sustain my spirit in a realm different than the corporeal. It allowed me, to rummage through the raging soul of the demon."

Odin, despising the arrogance in Loki's voice, proceeded with yet another question, tightening his jaw, with a slight lean of his head toward him:

"Frigga may have taught you well, but the knowledge of hearing actual thoughts was unknown, even to her!"

Loki: "Three races, warriors, savages and engineers she hulls, like the red silk behind! How am I doing so far? Was that, what you foreseen in the abyss of her eyes?"

Thor's foot placed a step toward Loki, who savored the confusion on both his and his father's face. Thoughts of Loki, bedding the enemy crawled in his mind:

"You have seen inside her… has your hand touched this demon? Did you…"

Knowing what Thor wanted to say, Loki abruptly interrupted him from finishing his sentence:

"No, I haven't. At least not in this realm, but I did see her core, her drive"

Odin, recognizing Loki knew more about the creature that invaded his mind, knowing he would want something in return, hesitantly asked:

"What price, has the knowledge you stripped from her?"

Loki: "My freedom!"

Odin: "Even if they all died at her hand, I wouldn't let you roam these realms freely!"

Thor: "Father, if an enemy unknown to us is approaching, a rigid mind will cost us defeat!"

Odin: "I will never consent, to invoke even more damage he alone, can do!"

Loki: "Then face them alone! And when the last Asgardian, spills his blood over your royal floor, I will be leaning over your corpse, proven to be right!"

Odin: "That would be to your liking, wouldst it?"

Loki: "As much as I crave for the throne, I see no point ruling over a crippled kingdom!"

Odin: "I know what you truly seek – vengeance, against her, the one who's hand drowned you in a pool of humiliation. The faith of the nine realms is of little concern to you!"

Loki: "Yet, somehow, their burden resides upon my shoulders!"

Thor: "I am disgusted by the notion that you are enjoying this set of circumstances! I strive for the well being of all of us, while you grip selfishly to your interests! What has become of you brother?"

Odin, holding tight to his spear pointed at Loki, with a hesitant hand slowly giving in to anger, as the voice coming out of his throat deepened:

"He doesn't even deny it! That fact alone, should be enough for your death!"

Thor: "No, father! His reasons may be different than mine, but we share the same enemy!"

A voice of determination, hiding a vague worry for the life of his brother stormed out of Thor's lips. He knew Loki's treason had to be punished in some way, but the mere thought of his death, caused an acidic sensation in his gut. For better or for worse, he was his brother, a flicker of hope that Loki would help to vanquish the enemy burned in his heart. To Loki's surprise, Thor stood by him, once again, trying to sway his father's anger under the excuse that he was necessary:

Thor: "You gave your word not to interfere with my choice of allies, or do you not trust me?"

Struggling to rise above his anger, Odin's hand rested on the cold metal of the throne where he slowly placed his body, with his eye locked on his son, questions poured in his mind, about Thor, about Loki, about the imminent threat before their gates. A decision came to the mind of the old king, after all they were brothers, still are. Just like Thor couldn't let someone kill his brother, perhaps Loki would do the same, protect Thor if someone, even his own father threatened to do him harm. He announced his decision before the two men, staring at him with increasing intensity:

Odin: "I trust the bond you shared once, before Loki's traitorous knife reeled in my back. Perhaps your bond still lives in both of you, but I cannot allow a traitor to roam free, if I do, and if your choice is for him to be your ally, you will do so at your own risk. If all ends well, if you defeat this monstrosity I expect you both to return. If only Thor returns to Asgard, while you are alive and in hiding, I shall execute him!"

A hush claimed the room after his words, they both stood in confusion, it was as if time had stopped, taking away every noise from reality along with it. Only the sound of their heartbeats pounded in their ears, as their blood curled from Odin's decision. Loki didn't say a single word, while Thor, surprised by his father's decision, with a grimace frozen in fear, let out a cry:

"Father, that is …"

But the old king stood by what he said, cutting his breath in half:

"The last time you chose this creature as an ally, my life almost ended by his hand! Slave, in my own body, unable to speak from the constant smothering he plagued upon me! And now, you stand by his side again, even after you witnessed both his death, and resurrection, almost begging me to spare his life! What else must he do, before he drains your affection?"

Words that struck Thor's heart deeply, but his pride didn't let anything show. Excuses to save his brother stormed in his mind, convincing himself of Loki's usefulness, recollecting past successes, he tried one last time to change his father's way, even though he knew it was in vain:

"Father, had I known what he had done, I would have killed him myself! But look at what fate brought us! She forced herself upon my back, nearly killing me with the heat of her spirit, just to get here! Every thought in my mind felt like a thousand ropes, tightening around my soul under her claws. Now look at what he did, he saw her scheme, and she considers him dead! His powers are required to deal with her, mine were not enough!"

Odin didn't care for any of it, his steal determination showed in his posture, not even a wink of his eye to the words of Thor. He knew he would never kill his brother, a lesson of cruelty that had to be taught to the future king; treason was intolerable and punishable by death, no matter what, and no matter whom. He only repeated the obvious, cold and still like a stone:

"You are willing to put your life in the hands of what you still consider your brother, see if he would do the same for you!"

A lump in Thor's throat smothered his words, leaving him breathless, glaring at his father with emptiness in his eyes, waiting for something, anything, to come out of Loki's lips. His born father would sacrifice him, just because he wanted to preserve the life of Loki, the one who nearly killed him. Doubt crawled under his skin; did he make the right choice? Would Loki's actions lead to his death? Slowly his eyes turned to his brother, only to find him with a mischievous grin, still staring at the king. His words brought Thor even more gut wrenching fear, sensing the certainty in his tone:

Loki: "You really would, slaughter your own son, just to see me die."

Odin: "He is a fool, hoping you can be saved from your own delusions! I hope that demon rips out the cold heart from your chest!"

Loki: "Does that mean you consent, to what even you consider to be suicide for your son?"

Odin: "If that is the risk for his freedom of you, then so be it! Now get out of my sight, both of you!"

Voice that caused tremor in both of them, expelling them out of his sight, but inside the heart of the seemingly cruel king, a hope for their survival thrived. He watched their step as they left, slowly, hesitantly. Memories of the times they were young and innocent, took over Odin's mind, resulting in a face slightly doused in melancholy. What were they now? One, a monster that nearly killed him, and the other a fool, still clinging to what was left of his brother. Regrets over the past mistakes brought him rage, as he clenched his teeth sitting alone, in the throne that felt more like a symbol of his failure than his power.

He waited for the guards to bring in the human and the aliens before him, to let them know what fate awaited them, depending on the outcome of events. The waiting came to an end, when the six beings stood in front of him, each one wielding a defensive posture, except for the curious human, taking in the sight of the vast room surrounding him, testing Odin's patience with his comments:

John: "Vintage, classy. Reminds me of Hyneria"

D'Argo, crossing his arms complied with John's statement:

"Rygel's throne is bigger"

Chiana: "Rygel is a two feet high slug; his throne seems bigger, because he's smaller"

Odin: "I have summoned you to announce your fates, not to hear your childish comparisons!"

Aeryn: "Alright, go on you have our attention"

Odin: "I will allow you all, one opportunity to right his wrong. My son will take you to Earth, where you will reveal nothing of your previous visit, or of what you have experienced, away from this universe"

D'Argo: "Why would you do that?"

Odin: "Simply because there might be a vague chance an invasion can be evaded, with your presence on Earth."

John: "Wow, wow, invasion? Who said anything about an invasion?"

Sikozu: "I do not believe a single Sebacean, characterizes as invader, your majesty?!"

Chiana, turning to Aeryn, a thought eluded her lips:

"Why does it sound like he wants to serve us to Cyntrina on a silver platter?"

Aeryn: "You don't value our lives, much…"

Hearing their complaints and confusion, Odin sat motionless on his throne, even more confused by their ignorance. They had no idea just how dyer the whole situation was, the ones who were confident they could stop her, now looked at him with sinister looks, as if he was the aggressor:

Odin: "I see, you truly do not comprehend the seriousness of this situation."

Echo of a slight thump, caused by John's hesitant step toward the king, with a face frowned in worry, he asked:

"What situation? She wants me, my friends, why did you even intervene?"

Odin: "Because she is not alone in her quest! Three other races, stand in line for your execution, and enslavement of one of my planets!"

The red curls of the creature, garnished by Scarran leather turned to the Luxan warrior, whose jaw dropped to the surprise the king's words brought them. She asked, as if she was coming out of a daze:

Sikozu: "You don't think… it cannot be… The Triad?"

Aeryn, suspecting the same brought even more intrigue inside the king's mind:

Aeryn: "Three races, triad … but how did they know about her?"

While answers eluded the minds of his friends, in Stark's mind it all made sense: the woman chasing them, the three races, she came on their behalf! Thoughts escalated into screams, once again, causing a slight change in the posture of the king, while his friends tried to understand his rant:

Stark: "Acolyte, Plokavian, Lukythian and Nebari acolyte! They know, they know! She knows! You! You, should have killed her!"

Odin, confused by the three races the masked creature named, and his threatening walk toward him, with his finger pointing at him, as if he was to blame. He turned to the human with a request:

Odin: "Control the lunacy of your travel companion! You, are the least qualified to accuse me of anything!"

John: "He does that a lot, don't take it seriously, Stark, simmer down it's not his fault, he didn't know anything about her!"

Aeryn: "How did he know about the triad? She definitely revealed something, why would we even be here if she didn't?"

Chiana: "Yeah, the farbot is right, why didn't he just kill her?"

Annoyed by their constant bickering, and demanding for answers he wasn't willing to give, Odin's pride peaked with an angry tone in his voice:

Odin: "I do not intent to give you any sort of explanation for my actions! You are to go to Earth with my son and stop her, while I estimate the extent of the damage this human has done!"

Among the stewing rage and arrogance, one head always stayed cold and calculated, Sikozu's neon blue eyes locked on the old king. With a delicate approach, her hand rested on the wide Luxan chest, ready to burst into words of rage, she stopped D'Argo from proceeding with her speech, directed to the king:

Sikozu: "Your majesty, no one is asking or accusing you of anything. There is a rift in our communication, you obviously posses data we are otherwise oblivious to. We merely want to know how did you learn of the existence of a bigger threat, and why did you not execute her on sight, when she first got here?"

Words that calmed the ego of the king, now rising from his throne looking at the scaled female, with a keen understanding of diplomacy, he answered:

Odin: "Humans do not think of me as a God in vain. My knowledge and powers, extent to hearing the thoughts of my enemies, her presence allowed me a glimpse of what is to come. In this case, three races unknown to this universe. As for executing her, I would have done it, had she not escaped."

A skeptic look and a judgmental tone from the Luxan, standing proudly, with one brow raised on the bronze face:

D'Argo: "You claim to have the power of hearing thoughts, yet she escaped without you, or anyone of your men realizing!"

Carefully nearing his friend, John didn't take his look off the king, whose face frowned upon hearing his words. A whisper broke the growing tension in D'Argo's mind:

John: "D, we really don't want another guy on our asses!"

He then turned to Odin, realizing the only way to Earth was through him, John finally accepted to work with the king:

John: "OK, we go to Earth. What happens if they invade anyway?"

Odin: "If all hope is lost for humanity, we will intervene!"

Aeryn: "You would let humans suffer, just to avoid conflict?"

Chiana: "This guy is colder than a Hynerian!"

Odin:"Your heads may be enough to avoid a war! The sacrifice of one planet, to save eight other realms, seems the most reasonable choice from where I stand!"

D'Argo: "Maybe you should stand here, then!"

Odin: "Do not test my patience!"

John: "Don't sacrifice my planet!"

Odin: "Did you think of your fellow humans, when you made these enemies? No, your hope was that Earth's perfect isolation would last forever! Well it didn't! Someone found it, and now you have to face the consequences!"

Sikozu: "There is no need to be vengeful, your majesty! We do not require your support; we merely want to take her back where she belongs – away from your kingdom"

Chiana: "Is it just me, or she is sucking up to his highness?"

Aeryn: "Can you blame her? It's like talking to John and D'Argo at the same time"

Odin: "Stop the insistent whispering; I can hear your poisonous remarks!"

John:"You, have to be the most arrogant monarch ever! You bring us here against our will, threaten us, and order us around! You let us know about a threat, but you say you won't help just because it's all my fault!"

Odin: "You misinterpret my intentions! If I weren't willing to help, I wouldn't send my son with you, to contribute in protecting Earth!"

Stark: "One God, against a river of doom!"

D'Argo, looking at Stark with amazement:

"He gets crazier with every next sentence!"

John: "You know what? I, we don't need your armies! You are a God to humans? Fine I'm a God to some Sebaceans, big deal! Just let us go to Earth!"

Odin:"Go you shall, but if by any chance of fate, you survive, you will all answer to me!"

The king had his last words, ringing in the ears of the aliens standing before his enraged eye. They watched him raise his hand, to let his guards know to escort them out of his quarter, and stormed out of the room between the golden shields. Just before John's cape followed his racing legs out of the room, the king turned with one last question:

Odin: "One more thing, what is a Hynerian?"

Seeing an opportunity to strike the king, who forced his authority upon him and his friends, a subtle smile curved John's lips, while he turned back and explained, with a slight note of mockery in his voice and a two feet distance between his arms, describing the size of Rygel:

John: "It's a frog, about yea big, eats a lot and farts helium"

Odin, not hiding the comment made his temper peak:

"And you compared me, to such a foul creature?"

John: "He's a Dominar, you are a Monarch, both leaders with strong self preservation instincts"

Odin, noting the venomous insult, decided not to engage into further discussion. He escorted the human with a warning:

Odin: "Full account human, if you survive! Spare me your pathetic humor!"

Leaving the king behind, John's temper couldn't be retained to his thoughts only, a few words, escaped the lips of the face where the annoyance from the king's pride dominated:

John: "Another universe, same ruling mentality. Gosh, why don't they ever ask nicely?"

During the bitter argument between Odin and the aliens, Thor and Loki were having a fight of their own, pacing in front of the grand gate of the royal chambers. Flares of rage in the eyes of Thor, while Loki carefully chose his words, not wanting to give away his true intentions.

Thor: "You have no boundaries, when it comes to reaching your goals! Using everything on your path just to claim a throne! You know nothing of honor, loyalty, dignity!"

Loki: "I truly appreciate the flowers you are throwing at me, brother"

Thor: "Convincing me of your death, not once but twice, just to find you squeezing the life out, of the one man that gave you the life you would have never had"

Loki: "A life I always despised! Is living in a gilded cage a good life? Smothered, by constant reminders of your, and your father's greatness!"

Thor: "I would have given up the throne… but now my life hangs in the balance of this lunacy, something you are very keen of"

Loki: "Were you glad, when Odin threw me to rot, in a cell for eternity?"

Thor: "No, but that is where you belong"

Loki: "And yet, here I am! Once again, you are in need of my help"

Thor: "Curious, the hand of the woman that liberated you, is the one keeping you alive!"

Loki: "She is, different in deed"

Thor: "She invokes your interest, yet you plan on killing her"

Loki: "Interest, is not the only thing she invokes"

Thor: "She carries a mark for death, remember that next time you lay eyes on her!"

Loki: "Pity, destroying a life only 500 years in the making"

Thor: "Sentiment, from you?"

Loki: "Only for the power she has accumulated."

Thor: "Greed overflows your eyes; you want not to kill her, but to tame her!"

Loki: "Her pool is intriguing, I admit to that! However, the wrath she is soaked in, denies me any possibility of getting close enough to do so."

Thor: "Where ever the truth lies, know this, was the last time I intervened on your behalf! If you betray me, father will kill me, and you will follow!"

Before he could say anything, his eyes stuck to the colors radiating from the aliens exiting the throne room; Gray, pale red and bronze from the species unknown to him, black shrouding the two human like creatures, but the one that really stood out in the green eyes, was the seemingly crazy creature, shriveled in distrust and fear. Half of his face hidden beneath a mask, strange energy came out of him, the kind that could harm Cyntrina, a vast reservoir of pure emotion, thoughts, feelings left behind from the dead, all residing inside this undertaker from another universe, struggling to keep them hidden.

Seeing them, coming closer, the last piece of the puzzle for vengeance against Cyntrina was finally revealed in his devious mind. He stood, silently contemplating his approach, while his brother greeted them, keeping a strong position against the large Luxan, whose step rested mere feet from him:

Thor: "I see you too, have trouble with the king's decision"

John: "Your dad is full of …"

Sensing what he was about to say, Aeryn interrupted John's arrogant tone:

Aeryn "Consideration for the rest of his kingdom. It's time we go to Earth before it is too late"

Thor: "Follow me, we haven't got much time"

Chiana, curious as always, walking behind the two men leading them back to the bridge didn't resist the temptation to ask, and beat John to it:

"Who's pretty boy's friend?"

Thor: "He is here to help, his name is Loki…"

Another thought, shattered by the Banic slave, dragging his feet between the Luxan and the human:

Stark: "He, he saw inside her! How… her core is pure hate, he couldn't, he shouldn't be alive if he meant no harm!"

John: "Wait, back up a little, Loki? As if the God of lies, mischief… God I should have read more in high school!"

His feet sunk into the solid surface of the bifrost, causing a chain reaction of stiff bodies and looks of doubt amongst his friends. They all stopped, glaring at Thor and Loki, waiting for an explanation. The face of the God of thunder dropped to his feet, he could not think of a proper answer, obviously the human knew of his brother's character, not much but enough to cause hostility among them. Loki, on the other hand enjoyed the fear clinging to John's face, to the mere mention of him. He despised the fact he knew so little of him, but he could tell his reputation preceded him. Answering the human's question, a mischievous smile lit up his face:

Loki: "Although limited, you seem to posses at least, some knowledge of fine literature"

John: "Hey, I'm not on trial here! First the king played judge, now you two princesses wanna play jury?"

Thor: "Pay homage to what my father has given you, a chance to redeem yourself! If that means little to you, consider the words of your own mystic, as much as I regret it now, he is the only one who yields the key to her destruction!"

Chiana: "A God of lies? And you believe him?"

Thor: "It's complicated!"

D'Argo: "Explain"

Sikozu: "The only thing we all need to do is get to Earth! Whatever the reasons for his presence, our best interest is not to question the decisions of the king!"

John: "Sputnik, why do you keep siding with a race you just met?"

Chiana: "Yeah, why are your lips stuck to their buts?"

Sikozu: "And why do you keep losing perspective? Every moment we pass here, arguing can be the microt the triad finds Earth with her help!"

Aeryn:"John, she is right"

John: "Fine, I won't argue. But I have a really bad feeling about this, about him on Earth"

Thor didn't say a word, yet somehow, this human sensed his worries of bringing Loki back to Midgard. Besides, Loki wasn't making it any easier, his interest around Stark and his constant waddling back and forward, convulsing reactions to his stares, amused him a great deal. He couldn't resist making a remark to the strange creature's messy thoughts:

Loki: "He isn't the most focused of mystics, is he?"

D'Argo, noticing how the God of lies affected Stark, turned his look directly toward Loki, warning him not to play games with a being possibly more powerful than him:

D'Argo: "Death, and all associated with it has that effect on him, but all you need to know is that he can sense her presence"

Words that caused Loki to gloat with his response:

Loki: "He, is not alone in that ability"

Although slightly deranged, Stark heard everything that went on around him. His essence struggled in dealing with the leftovers of her presence, as well as the amount of rage, residing inside the soul of the frost giant because of her. Unknown to Loki, Stark could feel her essence all over him; Thor also had her trace, but as a trail of wounded pride under the dominance of Cyntrina's claws. Loki's mark of her was different; it was better balanced, almost like they shared unity, one forged in forceful yanking of fear and pain, instead of voluntary sharing of one consciousness. He recognized desire, gleaming secretly in his heart, for taming the demon that crushed his ambition. He turned to the frost giant with a whisper, smothered by the crumbles and lightnings from Heimdall's opening of the bridge, while his friends stood bewildered by what they were witnessing, his face was still, focused and almost malevolent:

Stark: "You can't make her your slave"

Surprised by the amount of secrecy shrouding the crazed mystic, Loki couldn't understand in completion what he meant to say, just when he was about to ask him, Thor's voice shattered his confusion, invoking his powers of invisibility and warning him not to use them on him:

Thor: "She thinks you dead, but I know better. Do not provoke me into revealing the truth to her! Should any harm come to Midgard, I will make sure you die by her hand"

Loki: "You needn't worry about me, worry about what could happen when she sees trough my illusions"

Upon his words, they all plunged into the bridge of light that carried them to Earth. A sensation known to the Asgardians and John, but not to his friends, the feeling of being pulled forward by a force unknown, when the only thing they could see was the blinding light from the bridge. But the storm of confusion was just beginning; none of them had any idea of what she was truly capable of, what her black heart desired beyond reason, and what lengths she could pass, just to get it.


End file.
